A Whisper of Hope

Posted on Thu Mar 20th, 2025 @ 2:35am by Sarah Mitchell & Charles Xavier & Hank McCoy & Darian Elliott

1,898 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 6: X-Fernus Agenda
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: December 8th, 1990

As the heavy doors of the mansion creaked open under Xavier's mental nudge, Sarah was greeted by a scene straight out of a storybook.

The main hall of the Xavier Mansion was enormous — tall, arched ceilings with warm golden light cascading down from elaborate chandeliers. The massive Christmas tree at the center of the hall was easily two stories tall, adorned with glittering ornaments, tinsel that caught every glimmer of light, and strings of twinkling fairy lights that danced along its branches.

But what caught the eye most — perhaps because he was hard to miss — was the large blue figure hanging upside down from the vaulted ceiling. Hank McCoy, dressed in a slightly disheveled button-down shirt and festive red scarf, was fiddling with the last pieces of a harness system that secured the top of the tree to prevent it from toppling over. His furry feet clung to the rafters, and despite his precarious position, he was humming along to a Christmas carol playing faintly from somewhere deeper in the mansion.

"Home sweet home," Xavier said gently beside her, giving her space to take in the sight. His chair glided to a slow stop as he turned to look at her, watching her reactions with a quiet smile. "Would you like a moment to get settled?" he asked, his voice warm and calm. "Or perhaps a tour, or to meet a few of the other residents? We can move at whatever pace you prefer."

Before Sarah could even think to answer, Hank’s rich voice floated down from above, carrying that ever-present note of theatrical charm.

“'I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year',” Hank quoted, flashing her a wide, fanged grin as he twisted his head to look at her, all while still upside down. "I must say, new faces at Christmas are my favorite kind of gift," he added with a wink, as he looped one final knot and gave the massive tree a testing tug.

Satisfied, he gracefully somersaulted down to land on the ground beside them with surprising elegance for someone so large and blue. Straightening his scarf, he turned his bright eyes on Sarah, bowing slightly with a hand over his chest. "Hank McCoy, at your service. And who, might I ask, is our newest holiday miracle?"

The Professor looked at Sarah, giving her the opportunity to introduce herself.

Sarah looked over the tall Christmas tree in awe. She'd only seen one tree larger than this one and it was in the middle of Melbourne, not inside a mansion. Turning to Hank as he lands, Sarah returned his bow, "my name is Sarah Mitchell, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr McCoy" she said keeping her voice just above whisper. In her mind, a thousand questions circled, how did they set this tree up in here? why was Hank blue? What did his fur feel like? Although Hank’s appearance was quite different, Sarah had expected to see strange things, though perhaps not so soon.

Hank's brownish blue eyes crinkled with good humor as he took in Sarah's polite but awestruck introduction. He gave a soft chuckle, adjusting his scarf and folding his large, clawed hands behind his back in a posture that was both formal and relaxed.

"Oh, you needn't call me 'Mr. McCoy,' my dear," he said with a warm grin. "Hank will do just fine. Or Beast, if you prefer the more dramatic flair." He glanced at Xavier with a mischievous glint in his eye before returning his gaze to Sarah.

"And as for all this—" he gestured to himself with a sweep of one furry hand, "—I suppose I do tend to make a rather striking first impression. But appearances, my young friend, can be as misleading as a poorly written sonnet."

He leaned down slightly, as if letting her in on a private secret. "There was a time when this," he twirled a finger to indicate his blue fur and leonine features, "bothered me more than I care to admit. But, like all things, I've learned to wear it as comfortably as my favorite waistcoat. The world may see a beast, but it is the man beneath the fur that matters."

Xavier smiled quietly at Hank’s words, his hands resting lightly on the arms of his chair. "Hank was one of my very first students here," the Professor said, glancing at Sarah gently. "And for many years, he has been an indispensable member of our faculty—professor, scientist, and friend."

Hank's smile softened, and though his eyes were still bright, there was a subtle hint of sadness there. "Alas," he said, clasping his hands in front of him, "the time has come for me to seek new pursuits beyond these walls."

He caught Xavier's eye and gave a nod of understanding between old friends. "But as Dickens wrote, 'The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.' I may be leaving the residence, but I shall always be a guest professor here when time allows. You won’t be rid of me that easily."

Xavier chuckled quietly at that, though there was real emotion behind his smile. "No, I never assumed we would be. Though it will be quieter without you here, Hank. Not the same."

Hank gave a small, respectful bow. "You are too kind, Charles."

Straightening, he turned back to Sarah, his smile rekindling with full warmth. "Now, has anyone seen to your luggage, Miss Mitchell? If not, I would consider it my honor to assist. After all, as dear Shakespeare reminds us, 'How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.'"

Sarah smiled at the interaction between the two men. She could tell there was a deep friendship between them. "Well, I'm glad I made it here in time to meet you, Mr. Beast. As for my luggage, I can take care of it, I don't want to trouble you on your final days here," she said, looking between Hank and the Professor.

"Oh, it's no trouble," Hank reassured her, "but I can respect your wishes all the same. Ta!" He tipped an invisible hat and backflipped into a wall-kick that took him back to the ceiling where he resumed his finishing touches on the tree.

Professor Xavier gestured gently with one hand toward a nearby elevator, built seamlessly into the elegant architecture of the hall. "Come, Sarah. Let me show you to the lift. It will take you to any floor in the mansion. We designed it with accessibility in mind—after all, one must always be able to move freely in their own home."

As they approached, the polished chrome doors of the elevator slid open with a soft chime—only for them to be nearly collided into by a figure striding out, distractedly stuffing something into the inner pocket of his jacket.

"Ayyo, Professor, sorry—!" the young man started to say, and then his gaze landed on Sarah.

Instantly, the sheepishness in his expression melted into an all-too-confident smirk, and he straightened with a slick lean against the elevator frame.

"Well, well... now you must be new," Darian drawled, flashing a grin that might've worked on ghetto bunnies but probably not. "Gotta say, I wasn't expectin' to see a fly lil' redhead strollin' through the front hall. Is this my birthday? 'Cause girl, you are a gift."

Xavier, for his part, raised one brow with the kind of calm, disapproving patience that only made Darian's bravado falter a only a bit.

"Darian," Xavier said with a calm firmness, "if you're quite finished… admiring our new student, perhaps you'd like to continue this conversation in my office... where we can review what we expect from students in terms of proper introductions and mutual respect?"

Darian's smirk faltered a touch as realization dawned on him, but he recovered quickly, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, hey, all good, Prof! No harm meant—just being friendly, ya know?" He turned to Sarah, now standing a little straighter but still cocky. "Name's Darian Elliot. Illest guy you'll meet up in this sitch, and probably the best guy to show you around if you ever get tired of all the... serious types."

Professor Xavier cleared his throat once more, sharper this time.

Looking Darian up and down, Sarah was a little put off by this cocky guy. Clearly, he thought very highly of himself, but whether the bravado matched his skills was yet to be seen. ~Is this guy serious? I was expecting this place to be a sophisticated college, not a frat house~ she thought to herself before straightening up herself, "Sarah Mitchell, tired new student and someone who doesn't tolerate BS, So if you'll excuse me, I've just flown in from another continent and need a good nights sleep," she said, a little disappointed in the sudden quality shift from Hank's upper-class attitude to Darian's rapper like behaviors.

Darian was already walking away toward Xavier's office with just the right amount of contrition to spare himself another public lecture, but at Sarah's final dig, he threw her a wink and tossed up deuces with his hand. "Catchu' on da flip side, ma."

The lift doors closed and took them to the second floor where the Professor indicated the separate wings for boys and girls each with their own dedicated study halls and laundry chutes.

"There is a state-of-the-art computer lab on this floor as well," the Professor said, "which has rendered the library on the ground floor a little disused of late." Turning toward the west wing, he said, "There are vacant rooms on the left and right about halfway down. Would you prefer a roommate or a solitary room to yourself?"

Looking around the halls in amazement, Sarah took a few steps away from the elevator, "I think, given my gift, a solo room might be the best option" she said, turning to the Professor, "If there's one available."

Professor Xavier offered her a kind, knowing smile. "That can easily be arranged. You may have your pick of the available rooms. Privacy and comfort are important, especially as you adjust to a new environment."

He gestured down the hall. "At present, there is no assigned resident advisor for the girls' dormitory, though I hope to remedy that within the coming week. In the meantime, you may seek assistance from myself, any faculty member, or your fellow students." His gaze remained gentle but perceptive. "If there are any other accommodations you require, do not hesitate to ask. My goal is to ensure that you feel at home here."

"I'll have to think about it, Professor," Sarah said, giving him a grateful smile, "But I think I have all I need for now."

"Very well. Should anything come to mind, my door is always open." With that, the Professor turned his chair around and made his way back toward the lift, leaving Sarah alone to settle into her new home. The quiet stretched in his absence.

Waiting for the Professor to move into the lift, Sarah turned around and started to look through the various empty rooms, eventually picking one of the smaller rooms. Closing the door behind her, Sarah walked over to the bed and flopped onto it, quickly falling asleep.

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