"Erik, you're back?"
Raven was the first of the group to join Charles at the CIA, and she'd known Erik longer than the others. Her tone was casual, familiar.
"How'd it go? Everything alright?"
She couldn't help but ask. Earlier that morning, Charles and Erik had left to find another mutant—someone Charles said was a true fighter. Raven was curious. So were the others.
"Went fine—if you count being told to go to hell as fine." Erik shrugged, half-smiling with exasperation.
Apparently, the guy they went to recruit—some cigar-smoking tough guy—wasn't exactly friendly.
"Well, there's more mutants out there," Raven said with a shrug, brushing it off.
"True. But we don't have the luxury of time," Erik replied, his tone more grounded.
Then he turned to Rorschach. "Hey—mind coming to the office later? Charles and I need to talk with you."
Rorschach raised an eyebrow. That caught him off guard. He didn't remember this happening in the timeline he knew. So far, life at the base had been pretty routine—eat, train a little, occasionally get tested or scanned.
The real action, according to his memory, didn't start until Sebastian Shaw attacked the base.
So… why now?
Still, he nodded. "I'm done eating. We can go now."
He stood, brushing off the thought. It wasn't about being polite—it was just convenient timing.
Erik didn't say much more, just nodded and led the way out of the mess hall.
Back at the table, the others watched them go.
"You think something's up?" Sean asked.
"Don't know," said Darwin. "But Rorschach's definitely different."
"How so?" Angel asked.
"Come on—none of us can control our powers the way he can," Darwin said. "He's built different."
Raven silently agreed, eyes still on the doorway.
Inside Charles's office.
"Rorschach, have a seat. Coffee? Tea?" Charles asked, smiling warmly.
He always carried himself with that calm, aristocratic air—like a well-mannered professor straight out of Oxford. His charisma wasn't just in his words; it was in how he made you feel like the most important person in the room.
Erik, meanwhile, leaned against the far wall with his arms crossed. He didn't have Charles's polish, but he had presence—like a blade tucked inside a velvet sheath. Quiet, but dangerous.
"I'm good, thank you," Rorschach replied, taking a seat.
"How are you adjusting? Anything you need?" Charles asked, genuinely interested.
"Everything's been fine," Rorschach said honestly. "No complaints."
Charles nodded in approval. "Good. That's good to hear."
Rorschach leaned forward slightly. "But I'm guessing this isn't a social visit."
"You'd be right," Charles said, his smile softening. "Rorschach, I've been watching you closely. You're different. More mature than the others—mentally, emotionally… and in how you handle your abilities."
"You control your powers better than anyone else here, better than I did at your age. Better than Erik."
"I don't even know how you're doing it," Charles admitted. "But it's impressive."
Erik spoke up now, his tone more blunt. "You know why we brought you here, don't you?"
"To bring mutants together," Rorschach replied. "Find strength in numbers."
"That's part of it," Erik said. "But it's just the beginning. The first step is identifying who we are."
"After that comes training. Testing. And eventually, not everyone will make the cut."
Rorschach tilted his head slightly. "Cut for what?"
Charles shot Erik a look. "Let's not make it sound so… militaristic."
"But that's what it is," Erik countered. "We're forming a team. Mutants with real combat potential. We need to be ready for threats—ones the CIA can't handle."
"It's not about exclusion," Charles clarified. "Everyone's welcome here. But for certain missions, we need people with control, discipline… and strength."
Rorschach folded his arms. "So this meeting isn't about testing me?"
"No," Charles said. "You've already proven yourself. In fact, you're one of the few people here who doesn't need to be tested."
"Which brings us to why we asked you here," Erik said. "Charles is spread thin. So from now on, you and I will be leading the recruitment efforts."
"You want me to help find and train new mutants?" Rorschach asked.
"Exactly," Charles nodded. "You've earned our trust, and we could use your help."
Rorschach paused, considering. He hadn't come here to be a leader, just to grow stronger and stay out of the line of fire until he understood this world better.
But maybe this was exactly how he'd get stronger.
And maybe—just maybe—he owed them that much.
"Alright," he said. "If you trust me with this, I'm in."
"Good," Erik said simply.
Charles smiled and opened a drawer, pulling out a folder. "This is your next assignment."
Rorschach took the file and flipped it open.
The face staring back at him looked familiar.
Very familiar.