X-Men - Dark Phoenix

CHAPTER 4: TAKING FLIGHT

The following day is no different from the rest for the majority of the student body at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Breakfast in the mess hall followed by a full day of classes, starting promptly at 9am through until 3pm with two scheduled intervals at 10:30am (10 min) and at 12 noon (30 min lunch break).  

However, today was a very different day. It would become a historical day, and one of the few where mutants were praised as heroes instead of the usual bigotry. 

Professor Charles Xavier began his school as a way to train mutants in the use of their powers as a benefit for mankind so that they could live peacefully alongside ordinary humans. But that was easier said than done, with the ordinary human world constantly rejecting any notion of peaceful coexistence in favour of prejudice and oppression. 

Mutants were constantly scrutinised and subject to a different set of rules which were constantly askew so that any slip up could be used as a cautionary tale. This only forced the mutant community deeper into secrecy and hiding themselves, which didn't do Xavier's dream of tolerance any favours nor did it strengthen the already chafing bonds between the species .

However, after he and a handful of his best students defeated the planetary threat that was En-Sabah Nur, mutants noticed a purposeful shift, a decidedly progressive change of perspective wherein ordinary humans finally recognised their mutant cousins for the heroes they were. For the people, flesh and blood, they had always been.

Xavier could see his dream finally coming together, so much so that he was now an official consultant to the White House regarding mutant affairs, with an influence directly into the ear of the POTUS. Xavier could not have asked for anything better.

The events of this day would sow the first seeds of a harvest made to test the limits of that influence...

Behind the closed doors of his private study, Xavier watches the television screen a growing sense of trepidation as a news report regarding the morning's shuttle launch is broadcast nationwide.   

"Moments after take off earlier today, the space shuttle "Endeavor" was critically damaged by what experts believe is a solar flare —" 

"I know what you're thinking..." Hank McCoy, the Beast, Xavier's oldest friend and most trusted advisor, shakes his head in disapproval.

"Hey, that's my trick," Xavier smiled. 

"We can't do this, Charles" Beast ignored Xavier's levity, "We have not the technology nor the resources, not even in the Blackbird —"

"Not even with all the modifications you've made?" Xavier manoeuvred his powerchair to fat Hank, "I believe you said something about "booster rockets"?"

"Meant for acceleration, not elevation," Beast replied, "The Blackbird simply won't be able to reach such an extremity without —" 

Xavier's private land line cuts him off and the Professor steers his powerchair around the side of his desk and answers. 

"Yes? Yes, this is he..."

Miles away in the Oval Office of the White House, The President reaches across his desk and lifts a receiver to a small, old-fashioned telephone and brings it to his ear. 

"Charles?"  

Back in Westchester, Xavier's expression quickly changes; he sits up a little straighter and there's a distinct formality in his voice. 

"Hello...hello Mr President, yes, yes I've just seen it in fact...yes, quite a predicament... the X-Men?" he looks over at Beast whose face says it all, "...The X-Men... will be of assistance in whichever way we can, Sir."

Beast sighs, removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut in frustration. 

Within a couple of minutes, Beast and Mystique have gathered a rescue team consisting of Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler into the War Room. They're all kitted out in standard mission uniforms, which are similar to average flight suits save for the bright yellow "X" insignia across the chest area and down the arms.

Located in the secret subbasement levels beneath the mansion, the War Room was the nucleus of operations where the X-Men team would gather for meetings, briefings and to prepare for missions.

It was a circular room with a slick blue trim, various computer screens bristling with intelligence data and a flat, round table in the centre. A holographic projector directly above the table would beam down any information or images necessary to missions as fully interactive 3-D images.  

Mystique takes point in a quick debrief regarding the mission, as a 3-D image of the Endeavour space shuttle rotated silently upon the table surface. 

"No mess, no fuss. Simple extraction," Mystique said, "we get in, get the astronauts, we get out. Mission accomplished. Questions?" 

Quicksilver's hand was up like a shot, "Yeah, so, we're doing space missions now?"

"Same as any other rescue mission, Pietro." Mystique replied.  

"Except in space..." he looked to his team for support, "Am I the only one that's freaking here?" "You're welcome to stay home," Mystique was quick to nip any trepidations in the bud, "I'm sure Colossus would be more than —"

"No, no, I'm good," Quicksilver confirmed with haste. 

"Thought so," Mystique turned her attention to the rest, "okay people, wheels up in five!"