Hearing about love letters, the peanut gallery's eyes lit up. Alex, ever the gossip, couldn't contain himself and urged the silver-haired boy, "Quick, let me see!"
Jean, too, was brimming with excitement. "My intuition tells me the contents of this letter are explosive!"
The silver-haired boy didn't immediately hand the letter to Alex. Instead, he looked helplessly at Erik, seemingly seeking his permission.
Erik shot a glare at the instigating Alex, who pouted in response, seemingly miffed that Erik was only warning him and not the others who were practically vibrating with anticipation.
Seeing his subordinate settle down, Erik gestured for the silver-haired boy to give him the letter. With a mix of suspicion and doubt, he took the letter and unfolded it.
The opening line – My super sweet darling, my longing for you is so heavy, my feelings for you so rich – nearly knocked Erik off his feet. The entire letter, from beginning to end, was even more sickeningly sweet than the romantic fantasies Raven conjured up in her love-addled brain.
What a joke! Even when speaking sweet nothings to his current wife at the height of their passion, he'd never been this… cloying.
But the handwriting… it undeniably was his. No, stay calm. Maybe this kid was forging it to try and claim a connection. After all, in his younger days, he'd forged plenty of signatures (especially on military documents) and claimed kinship with all sorts of people (high-ranking officials, the wealthy).
Saiki Kusuo gave him a look that could only be described as one reserved for scum. "Don't assume everyone is as despicable as you are. And that actively resistant look of yours makes me think you're trying to avoid responsibility."
Erik, caught red-handed: "…"
He quickly regained his composure, adopting a serious tone. "This isn't avoiding responsibility; it's being cautious."
Of course, what he was actually thinking was quite different, and perfectly clear to Saiki Kusuo, who could hear his thoughts.
"Kid," Erik said, ignoring Saiki's teasing gaze, addressing the silver-haired boy.
The boy, who had been looking crestfallen, perked up, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Under that hopeful gaze, Erik forced himself to speak, the words coming out with difficulty. "So… what's your name?"
"Pietro. Pietro Maximoff, Dad."
The first part, spoken with such obedient politeness, made Erik nod in satisfaction. The second part, that "Dad," sent a shiver down his spine.
Honestly, after his wife became pregnant, he'd fantasized about all the ways his child might call him "Dad." But being called "Dad" by a teenager who was almost as tall as him… only two words came to Erik's mind.
I'm screwed.
His wife couldn't find out.
He quickly realized how scummy that thought was, so he amended it.
His wife couldn't find out before the baby was born.
Erik coughed to cover his embarrassment and changed the subject. "While I'd like to talk to you in more detail, we have other matters to attend to right now. You can wait for us at the school, or…" …go home and wait for my message.
Before he could finish the last sentence, Pietro excitedly raised his hand, interrupting him. "Then I'll go with you! Don't let my looks fool you, my powers are incredibly strong and very useful, Dad."
Erik: "…Kid, can we talk about something?"
Pietro: "What?"
Erik: "Don't call me Dad." The old man's heart couldn't handle the sudden appearance of such a grown-up son.
Pietro immediately looked heartbroken. "But you are my dad. Does that mean you don't like me?"
If looks could kill, he'd probably be riddled with holes from the "you're scum" glares he was receiving from everyone present.
"No, that's not what I meant, I just…"
Pietro interrupted again. "It's okay if you don't like me. Mom said fathers always prefer girls. Wanda's a lovely girl, although her personality is a bit… uh, strange. But I think you'll like her."
Erik: "???"
What was going on? He had a daughter too? Just how many kids did he have?
"The woman you abandoned gave birth to twins for you. Tsk, what a good woman. She not only bore your children but also raised them for you."
Raven clicked her tongue, feeling pity for the woman who had silently given so much without demanding anything in return.
"You don't need to be so sarcastic, Raven. If I'd known about this earlier, I would have taken responsibility."
Erik shot Raven a disgruntled look.
Although he was desperate to know more about the twins and their mother, it was clearly not the right time.
Since Erik was here, it wasn't just to debunk rumors; his main priority was to rescue his superior. After all, he was about to have more mouths to feed – oh no, several more mouths to feed – and if he lost his job, he'd lose his income. He wouldn't be able to support anyone, let alone himself.
He regained his composure as team leader and issued orders to the strike team members. "Alright, everyone, let's get on the aircraft. We need to go get our Professor back."
The aircraft they were using was provided by someone from the CIA. It was comfortable and stable, not at all what one would expect from a combat vehicle. The thought that Moira had sent this over caused Raven's jealousy to flare up again.
"If Charles still dares to have any lingering feelings for that woman after he gets back, I'll try to impeach him and take over as leader myself. Then I'll kick him out of the school, leaving him to wander the streets. I'll see if that woman still wants him then."
Hank, who knew full well she was all bark and no bite, chuckled. "I bet you'd start feeling sorry for him before Moira even had a chance to reject him."
"Hank, you dare to make fun of me, your vice-captain? Do you want me to arrange some 'special training' for you?"
"Special training" referred to one-on-one combat practice with Raven. It was a nightmare that every new recruit to the X-Men had to go through. Usually, after being brutalized by the ruthless and merciless Raven, they'd be lucky to escape with their skin intact.
Later, Erik also used this "training" as a punishment. Any kid who misbehaved or acted out would get a beating from Raven. If they still didn't learn their lesson, they'd get a double dose from both him and Raven.
After this rule was established, the one who usually ended up getting disciplined was the still-childish-despite-his-age Charles, and he was often the recipient of the combined beating.
Threatened, Hank shrugged, a gesture that said, "Whatever makes you happy."
After venting her frustrations, Raven finally got down to business. She turned to Saiki Kusuo.
"Do you know Charles's exact location?"
Saiki, who had just made contact with Charles, nodded. "I found him. But we need to hurry. He's in bad shape. I'm afraid if we're too late, he won't be himself anymore."
Raven frowned. "What does that mean?"
Saiki explained, "That Mutant Number One seems to want to switch to a new body, and he considers Professor Charles the best candidate. That's why he captured him."
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