Young Hank

Hank glanced back at Logan and, after receiving an encouraging look from him, worked up his courage.

From Hank's account, Brad finally learned how the mutant factions had developed over the years.

Erik (Magneto) and Charles (Professor X), two mutants with tremendous powers and potential, had traveled far and wide for the safety of their fellow mutants ever since they met.

At this point, the two had yet to fall out. Erik had accompanied Charles around the world, taking in young mutants persecuted by humans because of their mutant abilities.

Besides them, they had also gathered a large number of adult mutants whose abilities had brought them tragic experiences early in life, leaving them with no choice but to wander from place to place.

Charles had a compassionate heart-something Brad found questionable-and had mercifully welcomed these mutants into his Castle, supporting them with his vast family fortune.

But Charles was no ancient nobleman, after all. His savings were nowhere near enough to feed so many people.

So he and Erik began looking for a solution.

Although Erik's views had been somewhat radical from the beginning, he still valued his friendship with Charles. Together, they traveled around, lobbying everyone they could.

They intended to establish a foster academy for mutants.

Their earlier approach to Howard, offering to treat his son, had been an attempt to win a favor from a powerful man with immense wealth and social standing in the United States. By providing something he desperately needed, they hoped to earn his goodwill.

And it had indeed worked. With the help of a group of wealthy businessmen and politicians who carried real influence, Charles had established X Academy.

Ordinary families unwilling to have mutants in their homes could send their mutant relatives there. X Academy would take them in and educate them, striving to help them become successful.

In practice, it was something like a private school that covered everything from elementary school through university.

Its students were simply a little unusual.

Those families could pay a small fee, while the rest would come from a special fund established by the United States government.

But then two forces emerged out of nowhere, shattering this promising arrangement that could otherwise have continued.

One was a scientist working for the United States government, Bolivar Trask.

Ever since gaining a measure of real authority, he had begun brainwashing American politicians day after day, expounding on the dangers of mutants in hopes of securing funding for his Sentinels project.

The other was an independent scientist, Nathaniel Essex. Originally from London, England, he was an extremely radical genetics expert. Years earlier, he had published a research paper pointing out that the mutant population was steadily increasing over time and proposing the superiority of mutants. Then, despite being an ordinary human, he had recruited a group of mutants.

He had founded the Hellfire Club.

Over the years, the Hellfire Club's influence had continued to grow, and it had begun engaging in shady dealings behind the scenes.

The emergence of the Hellfire Club lent credibility to Bolivar's theory of the mutant threat. Although the government had yet to fund his research into Sentinels, Charles, Professor X of X Academy, was now facing ever more scrutiny and receiving ever less funding. The academy was almost unable to stay open.

"Crash!"

Brad slammed his glass onto the desk, scattering shards across its surface.

"How can we let my mutant brothers go hungry?!"

"Mr. Hank, I accept your request. I'll personally provide financial assistance to X Academy. Don't worry, I'm very rich! I certainly won't be stingy about this!"

Hank stared blankly at the desk covered in broken glass.

When did I ask for money?

Admittedly, after seeing the scale of Brad's holdings, Hank had indeed come up with the additional idea of discussing a charitable contribution with him.

But I haven't even brought it up yet!

And even if I were asking for money, shouldn't it go through official channels? Private funding would still leave the academy without proper legitimacy!

Seeing young Hank being led astray, Logan could not stop shaking his head. But as Brad's friend, he was not in a position to interrupt him over this, so he bent down and began searching the room for Brad's prized cigars.

Hank spent a few seconds in a daze before hurriedly speaking up. "No, no, no, Mr. Brad, that isn't what I meant..."

"You don't want money?"

Brad abruptly stood up and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"Well, I'd feel bad about that. But since Professor X is so noble and principled, I won't force the matter. Then what brings you here, Mr. Hank?"

Hank's mouth hung wide open. He raised a hand, then lowered it again, wearing an expression as though he had just eaten Logan's shit.

He had actually wanted to discuss money, too.

But with Brad hijacking the conversation like that, Hank felt too embarrassed to say anything more on the subject. Instead, he began explaining his real reason for coming.

As it turned out, Erik, who had always harbored radical ideas, had grown increasingly frustrated under the combined pressure of the two emerging factions over the past few years. He had gradually begun to despise Charles's constant compromises.

The two had argued several times. In the end, Erik had left the academy with a group of mutants who supported him.

He had established an organization called the Brotherhood of Mutants and begun looking for opportunities to strike at the Hellfire Club's forces. At the same time, he had warned the government not to entertain any ill-advised plans for mutants.

Professor X, who had been hunkering down in the academy all this time, could no longer sit still. He had established an organization called the X-Men, both to prevent the Brotherhood of Mutants from descending into criminality and to oppose the Hellfire Club. Overall, though, they were like a team of firefighters: whenever the other two mutant factions caused trouble, the X-Men went in to clean up the mess.

Gradually, Professor X, Charles, had begun to feel mentally and emotionally drained.

When Erik had left, he had taken some of the academy's stronger mutants with him to form the Brotherhood of Mutants.

That was easy enough to understand. Few people with great power were willing to spend their entire lives languishing in the academy.

There was a saying in the East: with a deadly weapon in hand, the urge to kill arose on its own.

This situation demonstrated it perfectly.

And from the moment of its founding, the Hellfire Club had recruited only powerful fighters with a vicious streak.

Caught in the conflict among the three factions, the X-Men had been run ragged by the Brotherhood and the Hellfire Club, left exhausted and miserable.

The government did not care whether Charles had made an effort. With so many mutants causing trouble in society, there absolutely had to be something seriously wrong with his academy.

After all, some of those mutant criminals really had come from the academy.

I've been giving you money to support you all these years, not fattening you up so you can go out and cause trouble, have I?

Finally, Charles could no longer withstand the pressure from so many directions. He had begun actively recruiting like-minded people, hoping to strengthen the X-Men.

Logan had been recruited within the past year or two.

Then, with Logan's help, Charles had found the young mutants Stryker had once imprisoned.

Cyclops had been among them.

One day, the kid had happened to mention that Logan had a mutant friend back home in Canada who had also helped rescue them back then.

On hearing that, Charles had thought, Oh, another like-minded companion with a warm heart and a heroic spirit. How could I not recruit him right away?

So, after confirming the story with Logan, Charles had sent Hank, his trusted strategist, to persuade Brad. Logan had come along too, bringing their friendship-and whatever pull his familiar face might have-to help make the case.