A few weeks later,

In Westchester, New York,

Mystique and Charles, sitting in a wheelchair, stood next to each other and watched as the Xavier family mansion was being transformed into Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.

Charles let out a sigh and said, "Feels like just yesterday I caught a little blue-skinned girl trying to be my mother in the kitchen."

Mystique blushed and asked, "Why are you bringing that up again?"

"Just wanted to see your cute reaction," Charles smiled and replied, admiring her blushing face.

Mystique playfully tapped his shoulder and said, "Stop teasing me!" This made him chuckle, and in turn, it made her laugh too.

After a moment, their laughter subsided, and they both directed their attention back to the school.

Mystique let out a heavy sigh and whispered, "I miss Mom and Dad."

Charles tightened his grip on the wheelchair momentarily, then relaxed and said to Mystique, "I miss them too, Raven. But..." He looked around and added, "That's just how life goes—the cycle of birth and, eventually, death."

Mystique nodded, sensing the shift in the atmosphere after mentioning their late parents. Wanting to change the topic, she said, "Can I ask you something, Charles?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'm listening," Charles replied.

"The kids we recruited have started calling you Professor X..." Mystique suddenly turned and grinned at Charles, adding, "Congratulations on earning your Ph.D., by the way!"

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"Thank you!" Charles responded with a smile.

"Now, where was I?" Mystique paused for a few seconds, trying to recall her train of thought. Finally, she remembered and continued, "Ah, yes! I was talking about how the kids have started calling you Professor X. And, I know it sounds cool and all. But..." Her expression turned serious as she continued, "You've transformed Dad's bunker into a training room for the kids to develop their powers. However..."

Mystique let out a sigh and continued, "We're forming a team, right?"

Noticing Charles's confused expression, Mystique clarified, "I mean a team that protects mutants and stops any mutants from going too far as Shaw did with his mutant world domination plans."

Charles understood her and nodded. Mystique continued, "That's what I wanted to ask. Since we're forming a team, what should we call it?"

Out of nowhere, Val appeared between them and suggested, "How about X-Men?"

"Kyaaa–", Mystique gasped and immediately covered her mouth, startled by Val's sudden appearance, while Charles clutched his racing heart, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Jesus Christ!" Mystique exclaimed, slapping Val's shoulder and patting her chest as she glared at him.

Once she had composed herself, she asked, her voice tinged with anger, "Why the fuck do you always appear out of nowhere? Can't you behave like a civilized person? Stop sneaking up on us!"

Seeing Val laugh at her, she gritted her teeth and continued, "You've always been like this since we were kids, appearing out of thin air like a ghost."

Val's smile remained, and he asked playfully, "What's the matter? I thought kids enjoyed playing peekaboo."

"Kids?!", Mystique shouted as she glared at him, but then a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. She retorted, "Well, I guess you wouldn't know how to act your age, being an old liar and all."

Val's smile vanished, and he squinted at Mystique, his tone becoming threatening, "Who do you think you're calling old?"

Mystique matched his gaze and replied just as threateningly, "And who do you think you're calling a kid?" The tension between them grew, and it seemed like a confrontation was about to unfold.

Suddenly, a smile spread across both of their faces, and Val extended his hand, saying, "It's good to see you well, Raven."

Mystique shook her head, accepting his handshake, and responded, "Likewise, Mr. Haller."

Val then turned to Charles, extending his hand and adding, "It's good to see you too, Charles."

However, Charles ignored him, his gaze fixed on the school. Val arched an eyebrow, waiting patiently for a few moments, but Charles continued to ignore him.

With a sigh, Val lowered his hand and glanced at Charles, remarking, "Looks like we have some unresolved issues between us."

As Charles finally looked in Val's direction, Val spoke earnestly, "I've come here to come clean."