Brian sat on the sofa in the intensive care unit, watching as Professor X and Magneto argued.
The two were locked in a serious disagreement about the name of the mutant organization they were planning to establish.
Magneto believed that mutants should see each other as brothers and sisters—a united family. Thus, he felt the organization should be called the Mutant Brotherhood.
On the other hand, Professor X believed that the organization they were founding should stand for justice, fight against the evil plans of Sebastian Shaw, and save the world. For this reason, he insisted on the name X-Men.
Neither could convince the other.
Both then turned to Brian, hoping he would make the final decision on the name.
As for Raven?
She was subconsciously overlooked by both of them. After all, she was a level 3 mutant, and her shapeshifting ability wasn't seen as suited for combat.
Though Brian was also classified as a level 3 mutant for them, they had seen that his adaptive evolution ability was practically overpowered—a bug in the system. He could even hold his own in a fight against the world's only level 5 mutant, Sebastian Shaw.
Both Professor X and Magneto recognized Brian's strength, which is why they placed him on the same level as themselves when it came to decision-making.
"Let's call it the Super Seven," Brian said in a rather mischievous tone.
Professor X: ???
Magneto: ???
Both of them stared at Brian, confused and instantly regretting asking for his opinion.
"Ahem, I was just kidding," Brian added quickly. "Let's go with X-Men. After all, Magneto, you joined later."
Brian shrugged, but his tone was serious this time.
"Alright, you're right, Brian," Magneto said, though clearly reluctant. He couldn't argue against Brian's point.
"Then it's settled—X-Men it is," Professor X declared with a smile, making the final decision.
And so, the X-Men were officially established.
At present, the X-Men had only four members.
Professor X.
Magneto.
The Homelander.
Mystique.
They were the first generation of the X-Men and the founding members of the X-Men organization.
Brian had now become one of the four founders of the X-Men.
"X-Men, as a mutant organization, cannot consist of just the four of us. We need to recruit like-minded individuals. Together, we can fight against Sebastian Shaw's Hellfire Club," Professor X said after a moment of thought.
His proposal was met with unanimous approval.
As Professor X pointed out, an organization couldn't thrive with just four members—they needed to bring in other mutants.
However, both Professor X and Magneto were unsure of how to go about recruiting mutants.
In this era, mutants were still very rare.
Finding other mutants was like searching for a needle in a haystack. How to locate them had become an urgent problem that needed solving.
"Brian, do you think Darwin's prophecies could guide us?" Professor X asked, unsure of what else to do. He placed his hopes on Darwin, Brian's brother, who was known for his prophetic abilities.
Perhaps Darwin's insights could lead them in the right direction.
Faced with Professor X's question, Brian pretended to close his eyes and think deeply.
Five minutes later, he opened his eyes.
"Beast, Hank," Brian said, naming someone. "I once heard Darwin mention that Hank, also known as Beast, is a unique genius inventor among mutants. He might be able to help us solve this problem."
Brian then shared with Professor X and the others what he knew about Beast Hank.
In fact, Brian wasn't wrong.
Hank McCoy, or Beast, was indeed a true genius. The brain-computer enhancer he invented not only amplified Professor X's telepathic abilities, but it also allowed Professor X to easily distinguish between mutants and humans.
With the help of the brain-computer enhancer, Professor X was able to quickly locate mutants like Banshee, Angel, and others.
"Beast Hank—is he also one of our mutant brothers?" Magneto asked.
Professor X looked at Brian with curiosity and asked, "Is Hank really one of us?"
"Yes, Professor. Hank is one of us," Brian responded calmly.
"Where is Hank now?" Magneto asked directly.
"I don't know, but there's a place that does," Brian said, shaking his head.
"Where?" Raven asked, intrigued.
"The CIA headquarters," Brian replied.
In truth, Brian didn't know exactly where Beast Hank was, but he did know that Hank had been working in the CIA's secret R&D department. As long as they located the top person in charge of that department, they could follow the trail and find Hank.
"CIA headquarters?" Professor X frowned, clearly troubled by the idea.
"Yes. To find Hank, we'll need to infiltrate CIA headquarters and locate the person in charge of the secret R&D department. Through them, we can track down Hank," Brian explained calmly.
His words landed like a bombshell, leaving everyone in the room shocked at the thought of such a bold move.
"Brian, we can't do that," Professor X was the first to speak up, opposing the idea.
His principles wouldn't allow him to agree with Brian's approach. Professor X believed that, while mutants possessed great abilities, those abilities should not be abused. They needed to avoid actions that could negatively impact society.
In Professor X's view, invading the CIA would create a massive shockwave across America—something he was determined to prevent.
While Professor X voiced his opposition, Magneto, on the other hand, fully supported Brian's plan.
"Infiltrate the CIA? When are we going? Count me in," Magneto said enthusiastically.
Magneto didn't think invading the CIA was a big deal. His focus was on defeating Sebastian Shaw. To achieve that, he would stop at nothing.
If it meant invading the CIA, so be it. Magneto would even go so far as to assassinate the President if it furthered his cause—without a second thought.
"Wow, the X-Men have just been formed, and we're already planning to invade the CIA? This is awesome," Raven said excitedly, clearly thrilled by the prospect.
She found the whole idea incredibly cool.
"Raven, don't mess around," Professor X frowned, scolding her as she cheered.
He was firmly against the idea of invading CIA headquarters. It went against everything he stood for.
However, Brian's next words forced him to reconsider.
"Professor X, don't forget Sebastian Shaw's plan. The world is on the brink of destruction. If you continue to be indecisive, you might soon find nuclear bombs falling from the sky."
Brian's warning left Professor X silent.
Brian was right.
If they didn't stop Shaw, the nuclear crisis could erupt at any moment. And if that happened, the CIA wouldn't even matter—they'd be wiped out in the ensuing chaos.
"Brian, what's your plan to infiltrate CIA headquarters? Are we going to just attack it directly?" Professor X asked, having reluctantly come to a compromise.
In truth, whether now or in the future, Professor X had always leaned toward compromise.
"Professor X, do you remember Moira? We can use her identity to sneak into CIA headquarters, find the person in charge of the secret R&D base, and then you can use your telepathy to read the location of Beast Hank from his mind," Brian suggested, already having thought of a plan.
"Moira? Didn't you erase her memory? Will she even help us?" Professor X asked, voicing his concerns. He had seen Brian erase Moira's memory firsthand.
"Moira, will you help us?" Brian said with a smile, turning to Mystique, Raven.
"Of course, Brian. I will help you," Mystique responded with a grin before shapeshifting instantly into Moira's appearance.
"Raven, are you planning to impersonate Moira and infiltrate the CIA?" Professor X exclaimed, worry etched on his face. "No, it's too dangerous."
Looking at Raven, who had transformed into Moira, Professor X's face filled with concern.
He considered Raven his sister at heart, and he knew all too well that her shapeshifting ability didn't grant her any combat power. If her cover was blown, the consequences would be fatal.
Professor X couldn't bear the thought of Raven taking such a risk.
But as he met Professor X's worried gaze, Brian gently patted his shoulder.
"Professor, Raven has grown up. She no longer needs your protection. Besides, I'll be with her when we infiltrate CIA headquarters. With my abilities, no one can harm Raven," Brian reassured him.
Though Brian's words were meant to comfort, they left Professor X feeling deeply conflicted.
He looked at Raven with serious concern, then glanced at Brian before sighing helplessly.
"When are you going to act?"
"Tonight."