Charles observed Nick Fury's departure, his expression tight with concern. He couldn't shake off the conversation he'd had with Alex earlier. Eric's mission to transform humans into mutants seemed to have hit a snag with Senator Kelly's abduction.
"It's not looking good, Professor!" Kurt, the blue-skinned mutant, burst into the room, his expression anxious. "Anna's gone."
"What? What happened?" Charles felt a surge of worry.
"Bobby and I got hurt because of Anna's touch. We're both shaken up. Anna apologized to us, saying that Professor Alex had given her a potion to temporarily control her powers. She'll be back to normal soon," Kurt explained, his voice rapid with concern.
"That's a relief, it clears up some of the suspicion. Are you and Anna still friends?" Charles inquired, puzzled. "If she apologized, why did she run off again?"
"It was all fine, but Bobby lost it and started hurling insults at Anna. She got mad and ran off," Kurt explained.
"Bring Bobby here. I need to talk to him. I already know that Anna's abilities are beyond her control, and she's apologized. Why would you be so mean to her?" Charles asked, shaking his head. He couldn't help but notice the contradiction in the children's actions.
Bobby was soon summoned to the room.
Charles sorted through his thoughts before addressing Bobby with a measured tone, "Bobby, you're aware that Anna's ability isn't entirely within her control. She's also offered her apologies to you. Why continue to speak ill of her?"
Bobby appeared perplexed as he tried to articulate his thoughts, "Look, I do have some positive feelings towards Anna. Even though my last episode was triggered by her ability glitch, causing my genes to act up and sending me into shock, I don't hold it against her. Not everyone can master their abilities at will."
Charles found himself deep in contemplation. Bobby's sincerity was apparent; could it be that someone with shape-shifting abilities, akin to Raven, had taken on Bobby's form?
"Did you cross paths with Kurt recently?" Charles inquired.
"Absolutely, Anna offered her apologies to both Kurt and me. But Professor, where did Anna disappear to? I didn't catch sight of her," Bobby questioned, a puzzled expression on his face.
After a moment of reflection, Charles turned to Bao and probed, "Do you recall when Anna apologized to you?"
"I can't seem to recall much about that," Bobby admitted, scratching his head.
"I see. It's possible someone has manipulated your thoughts using telepathy to make you believe that," Charles suddenly realized what might be happening.
Initially dismissed as a minor disagreement, Charles couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye.
"Eric, haven't you relented yet?" Charles muttered under his breath, a furrow forming on his brow. As far as he knew, himself, Alex, Jean, and Emma were the only individuals with psychic abilities.
With the recent surge in Mutant activity, it's hardly surprising that another Mutant with mental powers has emerged. Charles speculates that around 80% of this occurrence can be attributed to Eric.
"Alright, I get it. You're not to blame for this, you were under someone's control, and Anna got upset," Charles admitted, shaking his head as he disclosed the truth to Bobby.
Iceman Bobby, still bewildered, couldn't comprehend what had just happened. How was he manipulated by others? Despite his confusion, he decided to step out and unravel the mystery.
After a moment of silence, Charles tapped into his psychic abilities to locate Anna. He summoned the X-Men, briefed them on the situation, and sent them out to retrieve Anna.
Observing the commotion at Charles's school, Alex Smirked and shook his head, amused by the audacity of someone trying to harm Anna. It seemed like the threat was now neutralized.
Anna was kept away from Iceman, and Alex extended his senses to track down the young girl. He quickly located her at a station, having purchased a ticket to leave New York.
Utilizing his psychic powers, Charles also pinpointed Anna's whereabouts and instructed the X-Men to bring her back.
Before Charles's psychic connection could reach Eric, Alex withdrew his psychic power, leaving the next steps to be his concern. Eric's only intention was to exploit Anna's abilities, and he assured Alex that no harm would come to her.
Alex's role was simple – provide Anna with the perfect potion and once Eric's plan succeeded and bring her back.
(End of this chapter)
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