Prologue

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"Take whatever you want. We've got lots of food. In fact, you never have to steal again." Young Charles Xavier smiled as he faced the blue girl.

Raven returned the smile with one of her own before remembering the little girl silently stuffing her face with food behind the two of them, "do you mind, if I bring someone I know? S-she's a mutant too."

"Of course I don't mind." Charles replied.

Raven turned around and nodded behind her, moments later a little girl, around six years younger than Raven and Charles appeared.

Charles smile widened, "hello."

10 years later

"Pathokinesis." You declared as you dropped a book on Charles' desk.

"I'm sorry?" Charles looked up at you in a confused manner.

"Pathokinesis. That's my mutant ability. Not that emo-pathy or senso-pathy stuff you're coming up with." You declared triumphantly.

"Yes, yes." Charles nodded, "makes sense."

Your triumphant air deflated and your shoulders slumped forwards, "okay."

Charles noticed your change in atmosphere and looked back up to you, "what do you want?"

"Nothing." You mumbled ashamedly.

Charles turned his attention away from his paper and towards you. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You murmured once again.

"I will read your mind if that's what it takes." He threatened.

"You promised you wouldn't." You muttered, "just like how I promised not to mess with your emotions."

"Then tell me what's wrong." He prompted.

"I was just proud that I figured out my mutant ability." You explained as you nervously played with the carpet on the floor with your foot. "That's all."

"And you should be, now, you can learn how to harness your ability to the fullest." Charles smiled.

"Could, you teach me?" you asked quietly, still playing with the carpet.

"Hmm." Charles thought about it, "generally, it doesn't seem like pathokinesis is very different from telepathy." Your eyes brightened with hope. "In fact, one could even say it's a small step away." He looked up and met your eyes, "I can try. No guarantees though, once you get deeper, pathokinesis and telepathy are rather different."

"Thank you Charles!" your eyes lit up with excitement and Charles could practically feel the excitement radiating from you.

"I'll need to finish this paper and do some research first before I can help you though." He warned.

"That's okay!" you grinned.

"Let's plan for Saturday, alright?" he asked.

"That sounds great!" you beamed, "thanks Charles!" you skipped out of the room and passed Raven out in the hall. "Hi Raven!"

"Hi (y/n)." Raven nodded.

You frowned as she turned away, Raven seemed to be distancing herself a bit from you and Charles. It unsettled you. You thought that you and Raven would be sisters, even if not blood related, for life.

8 years later

"How was it?" you asked without looking up from your book as Raven and Charles entered the house from their excursion to the bar. You didn't have a complete control over how the atmosphere affects your own emotion, so party atmospheres typically made you seem way drunk, even when you didn't have anything to drink. It was both humiliating to you and to Raven and Charles. You wanted to avoid that, so you decided to stop going to bars. It also did quite a number on your inner emotional state. It threw your emotions into a frenzy and created a situation where it was difficult for you to regain control over your emotions. "What'd you do Charles?" you asked almost immediately afterwards.

"What makes you think I did something wrong?" Charles asked as he hung up his coat.

"Raven's animosity towards you makes it painfully obvious." You replied.

"Hey, you promised-" Raven protested.

"Calm down." You placed a bookmark into the book and set it down on the table, "anyone with eyes could see that. I promise I didn't use my power." You crossed your heart, "promise." You turned to Charles, "so what'd you do?"

"Mutant and proud." Raven mocked behind him as she walked out of the room, "mutant and proud." You heard her from outside of the room.

You raised an eyebrow at Charles, "I know I'm younger than you and you don't need to divulge everything to me, but it would be nice to know."
"I did the thing again, and Raven heard it." He mumbled.

"You'll have to elaborate more than that, you've done a lot of things." You teased, "and I can't read minds like you."

"Yet." Charles retorted, "you can't read minds yet."

"If you wanna be optimistic." You laughed, "so would you like to elaborate?"

"It was the mutant pick up line." He explained.

"Ah, that explains it." You shrugged, "she probably won't let it go though, you know how she gets about her powers."

"Yeah, yeah." Charles waved.

"I'm only trying to help." You raised your arms up in surrender before standing up to leave Charles to do his work, "when you've got the time, I'd like you to help me with telepathy again. Please?" you asked in the doorway.

"When I'm finished with this thesis." He answered as he sat down with a thump at his desk.

"Sounds great. Thanks Charles!" you smiled. You turned around and left the room, passing Raven on your way out. "Hey Raven." You gave her a soft smile, "don't..." you hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath, "don't hold it against him too much. He only wants the best for us. He has good intentions."

"Right." Raven nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

You smiled at her again and walked away as she entered the room that you had just left. You hesitated for a moment, you knew it wasn't right to eavesdrop, but you couldn't help yourself. You silently picked your way back towards the doorway. You had no intention of entering or seeing what was happening, you just wanted to listen.

"Mutant and proud. Mutant and proud?" you heard Raven repeating what Charles had said earlier, "if only. Would you date me?" she asked suddenly.

"Of course I would." You heard Charles respond, "any young man would be lucky to have you. You are stunning."

"Looking like this?" you heard the tell-tale ripple of Raven shapeshifting.

"Like...what?" you guessed Charles looked up from his work to look at Raven, "blue?" you heard him hesitate, and you were sure Raven did too. You had promised long ago that you wouldn't interfere with their emotions using your power, so you quelled your desire to reach out and see what they were feeling. "You're my oldest friend."

"I'm one of your two friends." Raven responded with a breathy laugh.

"Thank you for that." Charles replied without a beat. You had to stifle a small giggle, it was true. Charles wasn't really the most adept at making friends. "I'm incapable of thinking of you that way. You're... I feel responsible for you. Anything else would just feel wrong."

"But what if you didn't know me?" Raven pressed.

"Unfortunately, I do know you. God," you heard Charles pause and probably look at Raven somewhat exasperatedly, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately. You're awfully concerned with your looks."

"I'm sleepy. Will you read to me?" Raven inquired and changed the topic of conversation. You slowly stood up to walk back down the hall. You no longer needed to hear this conversation. You were worried, the little family that the three of you had, it seemed to be falling apart.

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