Charlotte Xavier - A Thousand Years

Meetings

"Sorrow's my body on the waves
Sorrow's a girl inside my cake."

~ "Sorrow", The National

... ...

Years past slowly for Charlotte Xavier.

As they expanded and recruited, the world changed around them. The Cold War became lukewarm because suddenly humanity had a far more dangerous, far closer enemy: mutants.

The news of their existence broke to governments soon after Cuba. The entire public had discovered them a year later. Amazement and curiosity were largely the first reaction before fear set in as mutants' full capabilities came to light.

Tensions skyrocketed as the "war" as Erik insisted it was in their correspondence, brewed. Erik's Brotherhood had quickly took a forefront in the conflict.

On the opposite end of the war, there formed an anti-mutant group that paralleled and rivaled the Brotherhood. Where Erik's group was based around mutant supremacy, the Friends of Humanity believed in human supremacy, that mutants were dangerous abominations. The clash in beliefs had often escalated to violence.

Charlotte, as a well renowned expert on genetics and mutations, often spoke at Senate hearings and the like about mutants and their abilities. She had, after all, predicted their existence to the academic community in her thesis. Before long, however, she was called to a greater role.

In the months following Erik and Charlotte's first face-to-face meeting after Cuba, things only worsened. Violence was becoming common by and against mutants.

A young boy—unbeknownst before as a mutant—accidentally set the apartment building his family lived in on fire with his mutation. Eight people had died in the flames with nine more injured.

Not a month later, a mother drowned her six year old daughter after she realized the girl was a mutant.

The mother was found murdered three days later, seemingly in retaliation. Her death was contributed to the Brotherhood; Charlotte didn't want to know if Erik was behind it.

Shortly after, one of the Brotherhood's mutants was found lynched in revenge.

But the violence only escalated and before long, there was a mob of people in DC, lobbying for mutants to be found and exterminated.

And so Charlotte went to work to calm the waters before more were hurt. She wrote a letter anonymously to the President and his advisers, offering a peaceful meeting between them and she, acting as a mutant representative. A day later the headlines cried that the White House had agreed to a meeting with a mutant emissary in a week's time.

The anti-mutant community was in an uproar, but the Brotherhood abruptly halted their actions, virtually vanishing. Charlotte, in her heart, knew that it was because Erik knew her well enough to predict it was she.

At breakfast the morning the news was announced, everyone was surprised if relieved to hear of the meeting. Hank eyed her suspiciously from her right asked lowly, "When are you leaving?"

Charlotte smiled slightly. "Sunday morning. The meeting is to be on Monday."

"Are you going to tell them?" Hank nodded to the others, chatting away cheerfully as they ate.

Charlotte sighed. "They will worry. I'll tell them Saturday night at dinner."

Hank nodded. "And I suppose you are going alone?"

"Yes." Charlotte replied. "I am counting on you to look after them all for me. Will you do that?"

Reluctantly, Hank nodded.