"Professor, you can't blame yourself for what happened—you didn't mean to do it.
Just like the lessons you taught us back then, those lessons apply to you as well," Wolverine said, sighing as he tried to comfort Professor X.
Back then, the reason why mutants were feared by humans wasn't just because some mutants used their powers for crime.
Most of the fear stemmed from when mutants began manifesting their abilities—unable to control them due to fear—which often ended up harming family, friends, and innocent bystanders.
Every time young mutants arrived at the school, the Professor would provide them with psychological guidance, helping them find the courage to live again.
The Professor was no different from those children. His epilepsy led to a loss of control, causing that tragic event. He himself was more pained by it than anyone else.
"I'm not a child," Professor X replied, his voice calm but firm. "If I make mistakes, I must face the consequences. I cannot make amends to those who died, but I can strive to make life better for those still living."
The Professor looked at the children standing before him, a smile once again appearing on his face.
If not for these children rekindling hope within him, he would have never faced those painful memories, choosing instead to drift aimlessly toward death.
"But Professor," George spoke up, "it's been so many years—hasn't the government already seized the school by now?"
Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters was, after all, in a prime location. Situated in the outskirts of the Bronx in New York City, it was neither too isolated nor too close to the busy borough of Manhattan where all the major incidents occurred.
Even during the Chitauri invasion, that area hadn't been affected.
The main thing was, as far as George knew, the Bronx was at the northernmost part of New York City. It was also the most chaotic part, populated mainly by African American and Latinx communities.
If Hell's Kitchen was the most chaotic area in the wealthy borough of Manhattan, then the Bronx was the most chaotic part of all of New York City.
It was filled with gangs, and its crime rate was one of the highest in the United States.
Such an environment was perfect for laying low and making money quietly. Even if someone were killed, it wouldn't attract much attention from the authorities.
But after all these years, how could such a large estate still remain unoccupied?
Professor X wiped away his tears and explained:
"Although I am wanted, it's not a public warrant. The government doesn't want to make a big scene about it, nor do they have sufficient evidence to formally arrest me.
So, on paper, my identity remains intact, as do most of my assets—including that estate.
The only problem is that I can't appear in public or touch any of those assets, as doing so would lead the government straight to me."
"I see."
George wasn't clear on the specifics, but after the Professor's explanation, he understood the gist of it.
Professor X, behind the scenes, was the principal of the mutant school. Publicly, however, he was the heir to the Xavier family—a well-known, significant family of capitalists.
In certain aspects, he might have been even more influential than Stark Industries.
Stark Industries' rise was largely attributed to Tony's father, Howard Stark. Before that, it wasn't really a massive conglomerate.
The Xavier family, on the other hand, was an old and well-established noble family with deep roots and a long lineage.
Without concrete evidence, arresting the heir of the Xavier family and seizing all their assets would have made every old capitalist family feel threatened.
After all, if the government could confiscate the Xavier family's property without solid proof, they could do the same to any other family tomorrow. That would put everyone on edge.
And could the government provide concrete evidence of Professor X committing murder?
Of course not. The Professor's actions were the result of an epileptic seizure, leading to a telepathic blast that killed those around him. Even the security footage only showed people suddenly collapsing—it couldn't prove that the Professor was directly responsible.
There was also the matter of public backlash. If it came to light that Professor X—who had helped resolve multiple crises, had been frequently received by the President, and even given awards—had suddenly killed so many people, the government itself would bear the blame. Its influence would plummet, and the President could be severely affected.
So, at the time, they opted for a covert capture rather than anything public, and they downplayed the entire incident.
"If that's the case, then this is indeed a good option," George said after some thought, nodding in agreement with the Professor's proposal.
The Westchester incident had occurred twenty-five years ago, in 1984—back when Tony Stark was just fifteen, having just entered MIT to study electrical engineering.
Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, hadn't yet become a pilot. Nick Fury was still just an ordinary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and Star-Lord Peter Quill was only six, his mother still alive.
So perhaps no one had taken over the mutant school.
Likely, the government agents sent to apprehend them back then hadn't even discovered the school's underground basement.
"I have no objections," Gabriela chimed in. "As long as the children are safe, that's all that matters."
Gabriela also raised her hand in agreement. Since both the Professor and George thought it was feasible, she believed it was the right choice.
She was just a simple Mexican nurse. Her role was to take care of the children, not to offer uninformed opinions. She knew her place.
Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Wolverine also ceased his objections.
Deep down, he wanted to see the school again—the place that had once been his emotional refuge.
As for Caliban, he simply wanted to stay with the Professor and Wolverine. He didn't care about the specific location.
Thus, the truck changed course and headed towards New York.
Given the number of children they had, none of whom had proper identification, they didn't enter any cities on the way. They bought supplies from small towns and rested in remote areas.
After two days of travel, they finally arrived in the Bronx, in northern New York City.
Perhaps because the Professor had come to terms with himself, his condition seemed to have slightly improved. Though he still couldn't use his full powers as before, he could occasionally influence the thoughts of ordinary people, making their journey much smoother.
To avoid being tracked, they also switched vehicles multiple times along the way.
They'd sell their truck to a secondhand market, then buy a different model from another secondhand market, continuing this pattern of switching vehicles.
After reaching the Bronx, they didn't head straight to the mansion that had been converted into the school. Instead, George and Wolverine, in disguise, went ahead to scout.
As the Professor had predicted, the place was still vacant, untouched. It was just that the mansion looked rather dilapidated after being uninhabited for so long.
Once they confirmed it was safe, they waited for nightfall, then brought the children in quietly, settling down in the castle's basement.
The castle had a two-story basement. Aside from the Professor's Cerebro amplifier room and the old X-Men training room, there were a dozen empty rooms—enough space for everyone to squeeze in and make do.