You are different from others

"Erik, you're back?"

Raven was the first to join the CIA alongside Charles, and also the first to get to know Erik, so her tone was much more casual.

"How did it go? Smoothly?"

Raven couldn't help but ask again.

That morning, Charles and Erik had gone to recruit another mutant. According to Charles, that mutant was likely a true warrior.

Raven was quite looking forward to it.

The others were also eager to see just what kind of extraordinary being this mutant Charles and Erik had their eyes on really was.

"Aside from him telling me and Charles to get lost, nothing went wrong." Erik shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

That cigar-smoking bastard had absolutely no manners!

"It's fine. There are far more mutants in the world than just this one, aren't there?" Raven shrugged, not taking it to heart.

"That may be true, but the fact is, we don't have that much time." Erik shook his head instead.

Then he turned his gaze to Rorschach. "Rorschach, could you come to the office later? Charles and I have something to discuss with you."

Rorschach was slightly taken aback, puzzled as to what Erik and Charles could possibly want with him.

Based on his memory, the mutants Erik and Charles had recruited to the CIA during this period did nothing but chat, loaf around, and freeload all day.

In fact, their real training under Charles didn't even begin until after Black King Shaw's attack, which basically wiped out all the agents in the base.

Before that, there wasn't really anything for them to do.

And that was precisely why Rorschach had chosen to follow Charles to this base: here, he could train and develop his abilities without any distractions.

"I'm done eating, Erik. Let's head over now."

After a brief pause, Rorschach set aside his thoughts and stood up.

It wasn't that he was being polite to Erik; Rorschach really was just about finished.

Erik nodded without another word and led Rorschach out of the dining hall.

"What do you think Erik and the others want with Rorschach?"

"No idea, but Rorschach is clearly not the same kind of person as us."

"Then what kind of person is he?"

"Guys, can any of you control your abilities as perfectly as Rorschach?"

Raven and the others watched Rorschach and Erik's retreating figures, unable to resist gossiping and speculating about why Erik had called for Rorschach.

But no matter how much they guessed, they couldn't come up with a single clear answer.

While the discussion was heating up, Rorschach had already arrived at Charles's office.

"Rorschach, have a seat. Coffee or tea?"

Charles gestured with a smile, giving off a warm and inviting vibe.

He was a man with an English aristocratic air, exceptionally handsome, and with that distinctive intellectual elegance, Charles possessed a unique charm.

Erik, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, was a completely different story.

He carried a wild and untamed aura, like a sword hidden in its sheath—though he concealed his edge, he was still impossible to ignore.

"Thanks, Professor. I'm fine like this."

Rorschach sat down across from Charles.

"Are you settling in well here? Any discomfort?" Charles asked, like a gentle elder concerned about Rorschach's well-being.

"Everything's great. This is a wonderful place." Rorschach nodded, speaking honestly.

"That's good." Charles nodded with great satisfaction.

"Professor, is there something you wanted to see me about?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Rorschach got down to business.

"Rorschach, I've been observing you. You're different from the other kids—you're much more mature than them. Sometimes I even subconsciously forget your age and treat you like someone on the same level as Erik and me."

"Of course, it's not just psychological maturity. You're also the only one among them who can perfectly control your abilities. I don't even know how you manage it."

"Erik and I couldn't reach that level at your age."

"Considering these facts, I think it's time you knew some things."

Charles chose his words carefully, speaking to Rorschach in a measured tone.

"Rorschach, do you know the real reason we brought you all here?" Erik chimed in from the side.

"Isn't it for mutants to band together for warmth?" Rorschach asked back, as if it were obvious.

That reason was exactly what Charles and Erik had used to recruit the other mutants.

"That's only one of the goals." Erik straightened up, his expression turning serious. "Or rather, it's just the first step—verifying identities."

"After that, we plan to train and test you all. In the end, we'll eliminate those who don't measure up."

"Erik, I don't understand."

Drawing on his memory of the plot, Rorschach knew exactly what Erik was talking about, but he could only feign ignorance and ask anyway.

"Rorschach, we're recruiting agents—special agents made up of mutants," Erik explained to him once more.

"No, Erik, we're not recruiting agents."

Charles immediately corrected Erik from the side. "At this stage, we simply need some mutants with combat capabilities to carry out specific missions against specific enemies, and this confrontation is only temporary."

"There's no pass or fail. Even the mutants we don't select can stay."

"So, Charles, did you call me here to test me in advance?" Rorschach raised an eyebrow.

"No, you've already passed the test. Or rather, like Erik, you don't need one."

Charles smiled instead. "As I said, you have perfect control over your abilities, and your strength is considerable."

"Rorschach, Charles has more important matters to handle and simply can't spare the time. So, from now on, the mutant recruitment work will be handled by you and me. What do you think?"

Erik stated their purpose from the side.

"Since you trust me, I have no objections."

Rorschach paused briefly in thought, then agreed.

After all, he'd been living here for free for quite a while; it was only right to lend a hand when the time came.

"Thank you for understanding, Rorschach."

Charles nodded with great satisfaction, then rummaged through his desk and pulled out a file.

He handed it over. "This is your next target."

Rorschach took the file and glanced at it, feeling a slight surprise.

The face on the file looked very familiar—he'd definitely seen it before.