The Chief/Prof. X
Philadelphia, PA
It was his turn.
Dr. Niles Caulder sat somewhat slump in his wheelchair and stared at the chess board before him. The game was the same as before. It was Niles against himself. Pawns fell before knights in a dance that did not hold much flavor for him. He sat there brooding as the warm spring sun warmed his face.
"A game against oneself can be a very one sided affair," a voice said behind him.
Dr. Caulder turned his head in the direction of the voice. A man younger than himself rolled up in a wheelchair of his own. The bald man rolled his chair around to the other side of the stone table that held the chessboard. He smiled and Dr. Caulder could not help but see a look of wisdom in his eyes that he recognized.
"Hello, Charles," Dr. Caulder said. "I see you are admiring me too closely these days, Xavier. The wheelchair may be overdoing it, but you were always a concise student."
Charles Xavier could only smile at his old mentor and teacher. When last he saw him, Xavier was able to walk on his own two legs. "An encounter with the unknown cost me the use of my legs. Nevertheless I..."
"How did you find me, Charles?" Dr. Caulder interrupted bluntly.
Xavier continued looking upon the chessboard not meeting the terse gaze from Dr. Caulder. "You are as blunt as I remember."
"When it comes to finding things out, I can be," Dr. Caulder replied. He stared at Xavier in a dissecting manner. He placed his hands upon his lap and stared at Xavier. "What do you want, Charles?"
Charles Xavier continued analyzing the chessboard. "Your blessing," he said.
"My what," Dr. Caulder repeated confused by the request. "You never struck me as the comedic type, Charles. My blessing for what?"
Xavier looked up with a serious yet concerned look upon his face. "I am about to embark upon a path that you have already gone, my friend."
"What path is that?"
"I know of your work helping those individuals who have gone through unique accidents that have left them powerful, yet hindered in living a normal life. I know about The Doom Patrol."
"Heh," Dr. Caulder chuckled. "You seek to reform the Patrol? Is that it?"
"No, Dr. Caulder. I seek to follow a similar, yet different path to that of the Patrol. There are individuals out there I am sure you have encountered that have gained powerful abilities not unlike those you helped in The Patrol. However, these individuals were born with their unique gifts."
"You are speaking of mutants."
"Yes. Mutants."
Dr. Caulder sat silent for a few seconds and said, "You're one as well."
"Yes," Xavier replied. "May I ask how long did you know?"
Dr. Caulder adjusted himself in his wheelchair. Then proceeded to rub his scruffy beard peppered with red and gray hairs. "I suspected for some time after you became my student years ago. Call it intuition. Now I suspect that this is how you found me. Are you some sort of tracker mutant?"
Xavier smiled and replied without opening his mouth, "No."
The answer was clear as though it was audible to Dr. Caulder, but he saw no movement from Xavier's lips. He quickly ruled out ventriloquism so the answer was clear. "You're a telepath. Must be a powerful one to find me here." Dr. Caulder's interest was piqued.
Xavier chuckled, "Not powerful enough to find you here. Not without assistance anyway. I created a technological booster to my abilities that allowed me to track your thoughts here."
"I see," Dr. Caulder said. "That answers how you found me, now why do you seek my blessing? You've ascertained that you are not starting a new Doom Patrol. At least not exactly as I have done it. What do you intend to do for mutants that I have done for the Patrol?"
Xavier straightened himself within his wheelchair. "I intend to help and prepare them. There are more mutants being born now than in ages past. In time they will become a powerful force that the world cannot deny. You know how mankind can be to things they do not readily understand. Fear has made men do horrible things. I intend to stop what I see is a growing fear of mutants by helping the young mutants that emerge with their abilities and steer them on a good path. I have started a school that will help train and guide them before they make irresponsible choices that will cause others to fear us more."
"Before they become like Magneto," Dr. Caulder interjected.
Xavier was surprised. "Yes. How do you know about him?"
Dr. Caulder bowed his head a little lower. The memories he held for the Patrol were heavy. "If you know about the Patrol, then you know how they were killed fighting against The Brotherhood of Evil. Even though we saved the world that day, I led three heroic souls to their doom. I nearly died myself. When I returned to civilization, the world believed I was dead. I guess in some ways it's true. It enabled me to track the Brotherhood for months. General Immortus also survived our encounter and was starting a new Brotherhood with mutants. He tried to recruit a powerful man with the power of magnetism called Magneto. Magneto refused and promptly killed the immortal general."
"No doubt due to the General's Nazi past," Xavier added. "Magnus was in the concentration camps as a child during the War."
"That explains that, Dr. Caulder said. "I learned that Immortus was recruiting mutants for his new Brotherhood. Which is why he tried to recruit Magneto."
"Not realizing Magneto knew who he was during the War," Xavier added. "What you have told me is very troubling. Now he's forging his own team of mutants."
"Now you feel you must do something," Dr. Caulder said. "Maybe even use the children you wish to teach to fight them for you? Then one day you're sitting over here remembering their names and faces and wishing you never met them."
Xavier stared at him noticing just how much his old teacher had changed from the man he knew and admired. "I remember a man once told me that when a dream seems right and just that it is worth fighting for. I wondered what happened to him."
"He woke up," Dr. Caulder said coldly.
"No," Xavier said with a determination upon his face. "He ran away. He ran away from the world and into a pit of despair fighting with his demons and himself."
Dr. Caulder's eyes dropped as he knew Xavier was referring to him. Since quietly returning home after the Doom Patrol's demise, he was hiding. He was hiding from the memories he had of Cliff, Rita, and Larry. He helped them overcome their various physical problems and the powers it gave them. His time as their leader were some of the happiest and most fulfilling years of his life, they became his family. He let them down and tried to hideaway from the world discovering his failure of them. The days were filled with hiding and self-loathing. Wrestling with himself inside and through the chessboard.
"You're right," Dr. Caulder said faintly; barely audible. "I am running away. I let the world think I'm dead because in a sense I am. Their enemies knew them as Robotman, Elasti-Girl, and Negative Man. I knew them as Cliff, Rita, and Larry. They started off as my patients and became more...like family. I don't know if I can forgive myself entering their lives and forging them into the Doom Patrol. They would have been better off not knowing me."
"You don't honestly believe that," Xavier said.
"See it in my thoughts," Dr. Caulder asked, curious to experience Xavier's gift in action again.
"I don't have to see it. You wallowing in self-pity doesn't make it true either. I must admit that I expected less openness and more resistance from you."
"There's little hiding anything from a telepath. Especially one as powerful as you."
"I don't use my abilities to pry uninvited. I do know self-pity and recognize it in others. I was there once myself, but I overcame the temptation to stay there. I had more yet still to offer the future. So do you."
Dr. Caulder continued to stare down to his lap, then he rose his head and said, "This was never about needing my blessing. Was it?"
"Somewhat," Xavier answered.
"I can see from this conversation, Xavier, the kind of man you are and the one you may yet be. Tread lightly. We are both men of great ability in different ways, but with the same temptations. The same human temptations. Despite my...care for the Doom Patrol, I still made mistakes. Mistakes that you yourself will make with your group. You will be many things to them. Teacher. Father. Friend. Leader. They will look to you accordingly in those roles. They may even resent you accordingly as well. Heed my words, Xavier. Maybe even find another path to help mutants in the world."
"This is the path I must take," Xavier said. "The path I have started. If not I, then I can't entrust that path to those who may mean it for ill. I cannot sit on the sidelines and wonder 'what if' when I see the things I feared take place."
"And yet you do not wish to become me either," Dr. Caulder said.
Xavier was a bit taken aback by Dr. Caulder's remark.
"I don't have to read minds to see that," Dr. Caulder said in an almost snide manner.
Xavier opened his mouth for a second as if to say something but stopped himself. Then he bowed his head and looked up with a small smile and said, "Touché."
Dr. Caulder straightened himself within his wheelchair and said, "Well, whether you came for my blessing upon the path you have obviously chosen or not, you have it. Go and form your team and fight the good fight for your people. Prepare yourself for the challenges and choices that will come with leadership. Be vigilant in the face of whatever evil you find or even those that find you."
"Thank you, Doctor. I thank you for your time. You need not worry about my revealing your existence."
"I'm not," Dr. Caulder replied as he steadied himself within his wheelchair, "Goodbye, Charles."
Dr. Caulder watched as Xavier wheeled himself away. An odd mix of emotions hit him as his former student left the scene. Regret and yet hope.
"Ready to go, Chief?"
Dr. Caulder looked up to a tall figure whose face was shrouded by a hoodie. The figure sat down at a seat near him. Sounds of metal and gears were made as he came to rest.
"I think so, Cliff."
"I guess the upgrades you made worked, Chief. He didn't even notice me."
"They worked perfectly. Xavier is a perceptive individual with powerful abilities. We'll need to stay under his perceptions while we find the rest of The Doom Patrol. After that, I fear our paths may cross again. It will be beneficial if your mind is protected from him or any other telepath that he has."
"If you don't mind my asking, Chief, what did baldy want with you?"
Dr. Caulder pondered a moment how to best answer Cliff. "It seems Xavier wanted to see if he could start his own 'Patrol made up exceptional individuals such as himself. I believe he came to see the face of what would happen if he fails. Xavier has my 'blessing' even though he doesn't need it. May he be up to the task of what he endeavors to do for his people."
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