A black sedan drove into the mutant academy in Westchester...
Younger students playing on the campus cast surprised and curious glances. Their daily lives were confined to the school's vicinity, and they rarely saw outsiders visit.
On the balcony of the main building, Jean pushed the wheelchair-bound Professor as they watched the young man step out of the car, occasionally offering gentle smiles to the mutant children passing by.
After exchanging a distant greeting with Storm, who was instructing students on the lawn, Sean entered the main building with his secretary, Yuriko.
They walked down a long, dimly lit corridor, passing many young students along the way... among them, the still-youthful Bobby Drake and his friend John Allerdyce, who peeked out from a classroom.
During Stryker's invasion of the school, they had been utterly defenseless against the heavily armed elite soldiers. Later, they learned it was Sean who had rescued them and single-handedly destroyed the dam base imprisoning their kind.
This naturally piqued the curiosity of the older students. After all, even the seemingly omnipotent Professor had suffered a major setback at the hands of the so-called "Mutant Butcher"...
"He looks like an ordinary human," John muttered, unimpressed.
This savior of the mutant academy was neither a muscle-bound powerhouse nor an intimidating force of nature.
"Then how did he defeat Stryker?" Bobby countered, watching Sean's composed demeanor with confusion. Behind him trailed a seemingly delicate female secretary.
To them, he didn't even seem as formidable as their history teacher, Logan... at least the man called Wolverine exuded an aura that warned others to keep their distance, especially with his adamantium claws and unbreakable skeleton.
Many believed that if Logan had been present during Stryker's attack, the military wouldn't have captured everyone so easily.
"Maybe he's like Tony Stark, he has a high-tech suit," piped up a small voice from behind the ice-and-fire duo.
It was Rogue, the newest addition to the school.
Her explanation earned nods from Bobby and John. Sean did seem more like a wealthy tycoon often seen on TV than a fighter.
"Get back to class!" Scott Summers barked, dragging the three daydreamers back inside. He shot a wary glance at Sean in the hallway.
Cyclops, born Scott Summers, possessed eyes that emitted powerful optic blasts. Rescued and recruited by the Professor into the X-Men, Scott harbored a subtle hostility toward humans due to childhood bullying and discrimination after his mutant identity was exposed.
The young mutant, perpetually wearing ruby quartz glasses, viewed Sean as a scheming opportunist. He had noticed subtle shifts in the Professor's stance on human-mutant relations... less emphasis on peaceful coexistence, more tactical training. This unsettled Scott, and he traced these changes back to Sean.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Sean left Yuriko outside and pushed open the heavy mahogany doors to the study. The Professor sat at his desk while Jean stood on the balcony, sunlight casting a radiant silhouette around her.
Closing the doors, Sean took a seat across from the bald elder, meeting his gaze calmly.
"Has the Sorcerer Supreme visited you?" the Professor asked softly.
He was acquainted with Earth's mightiest sorcerer, having once been part of a secret group called the Illuminati. They occasionally met... both were extraordinary beings with their own responsibilities to uphold.
"The Ancient One paid me a personal visit," Sean replied casually, omitting any details of their agreement.
"You said peace must be fought for, that mutants must wait for the right opportunity," the Professor said, studying the young man, "Have you come today to tell me that opportunity has arrived?"
Sean smiled, glancing out the sunlit window where ivy climbed brick walls and children's laughter echoed in the distance, brimming with vitality.
"In the future's blueprint, mutants will have their place... this I promise you," he answered, "The first step toward peace is always the hardest. The rights mutants seek won't come easier than they did for Black Americans. Even 150 years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, racial discrimination still stains this so-called land of the free."
The Professor lowered his eyelids, weariness flickering across his face. The future fragments glimpsed from Sean's memories haunted him, relentlessly challenging his long-held beliefs in peaceful coexistence.
"So what do you propose?" The Professor looked up, curious about this confident young man's solution.
"I've found a politician who shares our vision for peace. He will publicly advocate for mutant rights, much like President Lincoln once did."
"Such help surely isn't free," the Professor remarked, his wise eyes glinting. He was no stranger to political deals, having briefly collaborated with U.S. intelligence alongside Erik during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
"Of course not." Sean nodded frankly, "Momentary compassion fades; mutual interest endures... First, Congress will pass the Mutant Registration Act."
The Professor's gaze sharpened instantly, a tsunami of mental pressure crashing through the room. The wheelchair-bound elder seemed to grow towering, his kindly face now radiating immense authority.
"History teaches us that peace requires compromise," Sean continued unfazed, "The government needs stability; mutants crave freedom and equality. These aren't mutually exclusive. Why must mutants hide in society's shadows, living humble or fleeting lives?"
His voice rose unconsciously. He wasn't surprised by the Professor's strong reaction. This man had once trusted the government, only to see his students weaponized and sent to Vietnam's battlefields. That betrayal had nearly broken a younger Charles Xavier.
"The Vice President has agreed to publicly support mutants. Offices will open in Manhattan or Washington, staffed by mutant liaisons. A proposal will be submitted to the UN for a mutant peace ambassador."
Each word carried weight. The mental storm subsided as the Professor's eyes gleamed with cautious hope, "Can politicians' promises be trusted?"
The bald elder had paid for his naivety before. This time, he had to hesitate.
"This is a transaction. The Vice President gains political capital; mutants gain breathing room. No longer must they hide... no more exclusion from neighborhoods or schools. Those suffering injustice can step forward and declare who they are..."
"...Your students won't be forced onto battlefields or confined to this campus. They'll have the chance to step beyond these walls..."
Sean vowed solemnly, "...Umbrella will be the first corporation to openly hire mutants. Oscorp will provide jobs. These children can earn wages, marry, raise families. These are no longer distant dreams, but tangible futures. And it will happen through your hands!"
The words shattered chains in the Professor's heart. Trembling, he grasped Sean's hand, emotions swirling in his eyes.
"I don't know what you truly seek," he said pleadingly, "but don't betray my trust. I can't fail them again."
Sean nodded firmly.
On the balcony, Jean watched the young man, his earlier words echoing in her mind, stirring something deep within...