~The White House, South Lawn~
The expansive lawn, collectively referred to as the "President's Garden", was lined with hedges and shaded by lush trees...
At its center stood a fountain, its jets of water soaring several meters high like strings of pearls and jade. On either side of the southern entrance grew magnolia trees with dense foliage... some nearly 150 years old, silent witnesses to the nation's history.
On this pleasantly breezy and sunny day, major television networks from New York had dispatched reporters, their cameras and equipment crowding the area.
A conspicuous podium stood surrounded by a forest of tripods, where the White House press secretary was delivering a speech in an impassioned tone, reminiscing about the nation's past while envisioning a bright future.
Only after the lengthy tedious official remarks concluded did the reporters perk up. Cameras swiveled toward the bald elder in a wheelchair being pushed onto the stage...
Charles Xavier faced the gathered crowd with composure. His words today would be broadcast into millions of homes, stirring upheaval across the North American continent.
Perhaps, as Sean had said, peace began with taking the first step. To change the plight of mutants, sacrifices had to be made...
"My name is Charles Xavier. I am a mutant."
The opening sentence struck like a boulder plunging into the sea, sending shockwaves through the crowd. Camera flashes erupted incessantly.
Seated below the podium, Sean watched silently...
"Mutants are not unique individuals... we are a thriving population. As nuclear fallout shrouded this planet, human genes underwent continuous mutations, giving rise to us. Like you, mutants are neither an incurable disease nor a curse from God. We are simply one step ahead on the path of evolution..."
"...Driven by exclusion and discrimination, we have long concealed our identities. But the truth is, mutants are not rare..."
"...In recent years, more and more mutant children have been born... proof that we cannot be eradicated, nor do we need to be. Because every mutant comes from among humans. There is no difference between us."
Charles did not hold a microphone. His voice resonated directly in every listener's mind, his astonishing speech transmitted through countless radio waves into households across the nation...
Many newlywed couples watched with trepidation. If mutants truly arose from genetic mutations within humans, then anyone could potentially become one.
So who, exactly, were they ostracizing and attacking?
A faint smile played on Sean's lips. When humans realized they could just as easily be cast into the marginalized, discriminated class, their hostility toward mutants would naturally diminish. This was the first step toward peace between the two groups.
In the animal kingdom, lions did not accept sheep, nor did lambs trust lions. Only when both recognized they belonged to the same species would the latent hostility and wariness in their hearts gradually fade...
"We have spent our entire lives hiding, afraid to step into the light. From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Paris Peace Summit... mutants have been present at every turn of history. Yet we have never stood before the world to declare our existence." Deep nostalgia flickered in Charles' eyes.
He remembered fighting side by side with his old friend Erik, gathering their kind to form the first generation of X-Men, opposing Sebastian Shaw's plot to ignite nuclear war. Those were the days of his spirited youth, filled with hope and confidence, believing a brighter future was within reach.
Yet after that battle, he and Erik had diverged onto separate paths. Even now, it was difficult to say who was right or wrong. Both fought for the same goal... one sought peace through compromise, the other through force.
The Professor and Magneto still walked the same road, albeit in different directions. Their destinations, however, remained the same... a future for mutantkind.
"To my fellow mutants, my dear brothers and sisters... you may know my name, or you may have never heard my story. But today, I implore you... step forward! No more hiding. No more wandering. No more fearing the hatred or disgust in others' eyes."
"...We, too, can walk with our heads held high... attending school, working, building families, marrying, having children. These are rights we were born with. No one can take them away."
Charles' gaze fell upon the young man in the audience, his complex eyes betraying a glimmer of hope. He prayed his decision was correct... that it would not lead his people into ruin.
Humanity had failed him before, not once but many times. The world's most powerful telepath had endured countless nights of torment, doubt, and hesitation before arriving at this difficult choice.
"I promise you this: mutants will face no malicious attacks. In Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago... you will no longer be outcasts in these cities. The White House and I jointly guarantee that mutant rights will be protected. All you need to do is take the first step."
His resounding, impassioned speech was like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending ripples far and wide...
The long-anticipated Mutant Registration Act would officially pass today, with Charles Xavier, one of mutantkind's foremost leaders, becoming the first to publicly declare his identity.
Next, the young generation of X-Men from the school stepped onto the stage one by one...
Facing the live global broadcast, they boldly announced their names and signed the solemn White House-authorized act.
The moment was immortalized... perhaps one day to be displayed in museums, recounting to future generations the hard-won peace mutants had achieved.
"My name is Ororo Munroe..."
"My name is Scott Summers..."
"My name is Jean Grey..."
"...I am a mutant!"
...
Deep underground in his prison cell, Magneto stared at the television screen, watching the proceedings unfold...
After a long silence, he sighed, "Charles..."
This was an outcome he could never have predicted. His old friend, the man he had sparred with for decades, had chosen to trust humanity... cooperating with the government to enact the Mutant Registration Act and even calling upon their kind to come forward.
"Can your naivety truly win humanity's goodwill?" Magneto sneered, his low voice echoing in the confines of his cell.
If humanity betrayed them again, Charles' lifelong reputation would be shattered. He would be branded a traitor by mutantkind, forever condemned and cursed by his own people.
The respected Professor himself would bear the weight of that sin, finding no redemption, doomed to die in self-recrimination and regret.
This was an enormous gamble. The Charles of old would never have agreed. But after glimpsing countless possible futures in Sean's memories, Charles had been forced to make a choice...
He could no longer remain silent. At the very least, he had to fight for a visible future for his people... whether it led to a bright ending or a cruel downfall.
Picking up a newspaper, Magneto sank into thought. Charles had already taken action. So what should he do? Remain in this underground prison until old age claimed him?
Recalling the choice Sean had presented, the Brotherhood's leader frowned, then sighed in resignation.
Perhaps it was time for him to compromise as well...