The Doctor Is In

Posted on Wed Apr 9th, 2025 @ 9:48pm by Charles Xavier & Cecilia Reyes M.D.

2,468 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 6: X-Fernus Agenda
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: December 13th, 1990

The black government-issued SUV rumbled down the winding road through upstate New York, its headlights carving through the early morning mist. Fred Duncan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York FBI field office, sat behind the wheel, his grip firm but relaxed, his eyes flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. A lifetime in the Bureau had ingrained certain habits—constant vigilance, a readiness for the unexpected. Even now, despite the relative quiet of the countryside, his gut told him to stay sharp.

As the road curved, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers loomed into view. The sprawling mansion stood atop its manicured hill abutting the national forest which it neighbored. It looked peaceful, almost idyllic—an illusion, Duncan knew. This was no ordinary school. Within those walls, history had been made. Wars had been fought. And now, it was about to become the safe haven for a woman whose testimony could burn down an entire conspiracy.

He glanced at the passenger seat. Dr. Cecilia Reyes sat stiff-backed, her arms crossed over her chest. She had barely spoken the entire ride. Not that he blamed her. She’d walked away from her life and career in exchange for a target on her back. She had every reason to be pissed off.

Duncan cleared his throat. "You sure about this, Doc? If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.”

“You say that like I have a choice in the matter.” Cecilia huffed from her seat next to him, “Let’s not pretend that I wasn’t forced into this, that I wasn’t given a harsh ultimatum simply because I dared to do the right thing.”

There was a pause as Dr. Reyes seethed but after a few short minutes she appeared to regain some control over her temper. “I appreciate what you’re doing for me Agent Duncan, I really do.”

Cecilia had given Bobby Drake and Pietro Maximoff the lead they needed to find and expose Senator Robert Kelly’s government funded assassin, it was a choice she had made in a single moment that now changed the whole course of her life. The target on her back required her to go into hiding and it was determined that the best place to hide a mutant witness was with the world’s most powerful telepath. There was something so obvious yet so devious about the choice that it might be considered brilliant.

“I’m just having a hard time coming to terms with everything, this doesn’t feel like a choice, it feels like fleeing for my life.” She looked at the massive brick building as they pulled into the driveway, it was an impressive mansion and she couldn’t fathom what was residing behind it’s doors. “Less than 1% of the population holds the X-Gene yet every person who lives here has it… how are you not terrified of that?”

Duncan exhaled sharply through his nose, gripping the wheel a little tighter as he slowed the car along the winding drive toward the massive estate. The headlights swept across the grand façade of the Xavier Institute, its towering brick exterior looking almost stately beneath the soft glow of the snowy evening.

"You wanna know how I’m not terrified of it?" he finally said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Because I remember when people said the same thing about me and mine."

The wrought iron gates opened as if they were expecting visitors.

"Jim Crow wasn’t that long ago," Duncan continued, his voice measured but firm. "I grew up hearing about how we—Black folks—were dangerous. About how we needed to be kept separate, controlled, put in our place. Hell, some people still think that way."

He pulled the car to a stop in front of the mansion and shifted into park, turning to look at her directly. His gaze was steady, carrying the weight of experience.

"I don’t have the X-Gene, Doc. But when I look at these kids, I see my own reflection."

There was a beat of silence, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Duncan sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Look, all I’m sayin’ is—be careful with that kind of talk. You may not have asked to be here, but neither did they." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Though, uh… maybe do take that tone with Xavier." His lips twitched in amusement. "Man could talk circles around you and make you feel like you came up with the idea yourself. I’d pay good money to watch you try to keep up.”

“I’m allowed to be unhappy with the way things went down and I’m entitled to expressing my opinion on the matter. I’m compliant and agreeable enough that we’re all getting what we want out of this situation, but I’m not going to smile and nod to the nice white man who lets me stay in his house.” Cecilia responded with the same degree of sass. She wasn’t one to let anyone tell her how to think or feel. “Mutants can be dangerous, just like any person can be dangerous. Now I’m not saying to put them in chains and make them slaves, we both know that isn’t the answer. But to ignore the fact that a loaded gun is dangerous in the wrong hands is foolish. To stand in a room where every person has a loaded gun and it's a real hit or miss if they know how to use it…” Dr. Reyes shook her head. “Don’t come at me like I’m some bigot because the odds make me nervous.”

“I guess we all have our opinions on the matter, don’t we?” Fred countered, then shook his head with a chuckle. They were both federal agents and had crossed paths on multiple investigations, so there was no point in debating anything. Nothing would be decided on their way into the mansion. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the shit hit the fan between the good doctor and the Professor. “No need to lecture me. I’ve seen the same case files as you have.” He opened the door and exited the vehicle.

Sitting on the portico, poised with the effortless grace of a man who had long mastered patience, was Charles Xavier. His expression was warm, welcoming—perhaps a touch amused.
“Dr. Reyes,” Xavier greeted, inclining his head. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
Everything about the sight of him, from the polished demeanor to the tailored suit that looked like a second skin, evoked the air of a quiet authority he carried without needing to raise his voice.
Fred stepped around the car, grabbing one of Cecilia’s bags from the trunk before Xavier raised a hand. “No need, Agent Duncan,” he said, his voice smooth. “A student will see to it shortly. Please, leave it on the portico.”
Fred shot Xavier a wry glance, shifting the weight of the bag in his hand. “You sure? Hate to make the kids do all the heavy lifting.”
Xavier merely smiled. “They’re quite capable.”
Fred exhaled through his nose but set the bag down beside the others without argument. He had long ago learned that arguing with Charles Xavier was a pointless endeavor. “I’ll just use your restroom if I may…”
Turning his attention back to Cecilia, Xavier’s expression softened with curiosity. “How was the drive?”
“Long,” Cecilia replied as she reached into the back of the car. Ignoring Xavier’s comment that someone would take her luggage, she removed a wicker box with a handle that had been seatbelted into the seat. Cecilia held onto it tightly as she turned to face Xavier for the first time.
Dr. Reyes was middle aged with an oval shaped face and long box braids. Her eyes and skin were a soft, rich brown and she carried herself with confidence and a touch of attitude.
“Agent Duncan also has terrible taste in music and is horrible at small talk. Both those things added to the torture.” Cecilia looked up at the high expanse of the mansion before looking back at Xavier. “I suppose we should have a meeting to go over the terms and conditions of my stay?”
“Most of those are already stipulated in the agreement with the Witness Protection Program,” Xavier said amicably, then glanced at the wicker box. “Are there any concerns which you have?”
“I want to finish my research. I worked for the MRD because they allowed me the space and the funds I needed.” Dr. Reyes felt like it was a pipe dream of a request but if he was asking, she would answer.
The look in his eyes suggested that he already knew what she was about to tell him but he asked anyway. “I am happy to accommodate you as much as our school operations will allow.”
“Right,” Cecilia said with a defeated sigh, she would be doomed to merely reading other people’s publications and providing peer review at a place like this.
The wicker basket in her hand shook as if something inside shifted its weight. A moment later a sad, mournful “Mer-Oww” filled the air.
“Hush, Thomasina,” Cecilia commented to the basket. “I guess I can unpack and get settled in, I’m sure I’ll need to drive into town for a few things too. I had to pack rather quickly and I’m sure I forgot something. I’d also like to view your medical facility and check on your supplies, I’ll probably have to order more for there too… not that a bunch of kids get injured that badly. I guess they’ll want stickers and colorful band aids for their skinned knees.”
“I'm sure you'll find everything…more than satisfactory,” Xavier said. It was not often that a true medical professional got a look at the school's state-of-the-art medical suite. Some of it was not even of this world. “Feel free to pass along any supply requests and I'll be sure to have them filled.”
Turning his attention to the basket, Xavier's face split into a curious grin. “And just who is this? Thomasina, was it?”
“Oh, yes.” Cecilia defensively replied. Bringing a pet had not been part of the deal she had made but when she refused to leave the cat behind, Agent Duncan eventually agreed. She opened a small window on the top of the basket and the apple-shaped heat of an orange and white tabby appeared, its green eyes wide and curious. “She’s twelve, no one was going to want to adopt her. My sister and I don’t talk anymore so I couldn’t give her away. I refused to leave her.” Cecilia reached out and scratched behind the cat’s ear in a moment of affection, Xavier knew the real reason why: she loved her cat.
“It’s been sometime since the mansion’s halls have been graced with a cat…”
Xavier’s warm tone drifted off as he offered his knuckles to the top of the basket near Thomasina’s exposed head for scent capturing. His head canted to one side as Thomasina poked at each knub of his hand with her nose. After a sharp twitch of her head, she stared a hole through Xavier. Thomasina flicked her ears around for a moment before her gaze slowly settled back onto the Professor. He smiled as a simple acknowledgement seemed to form between them.
“I think Thomasina will come to be very happy here,” Xavier offered to Cecilia, “given time.” He projected an unspoken sentiment that the same would be true for Cecilia as well.
“Well, she has no place else to go and she would be as good as dead if she stayed in Washington D.C.” Dr. Reyes said with a tone of absolution. “Now if Agent Duncan would hurry up in the john we can all go about our business.”
As if on cue, the sound of approaching footsteps announced the arrival of Connor. He offered a wave to Cecilia which made his speech generating device come to life. “HELLO.”

Xavier’s lips twitched in mild amusement, but he said nothing of it. Instead he turned toward Cecilia. “This is Connor, one of our resident advisors. He’ll be escorting you to the nurse’s quarters and ensuring you have everything you need to get settled.”

“Of course,” Cecilia said with a nod of her head, her first encounter with Charles Xavier had gone well enough but then again a lot of her reservations remained unsaid. “Hello, Connor, it’s nice to meet you.”

Rather than reply directly, Connor squinted his eyes at Cecilia’s hair. His attention clearly followed the winding patterns of her box braids as if tracing each one from start to finish.

"YOUR HAIR LOOKS LIKE AN INFINITY KNOT, OR AN OUROBOROS LOOPING BACK INTO ITSELF, OR A CLOSED CIRCUIT OF STATIC ENERGY.” He still didn’t look away as he signed. “IT IS MESMERIZING."

“You act like you’ve never seen box braids before,” Cecilia said with a laugh before she realized that Connor wasn’t kidding. “Oh man… what kind of school did I agree to live at?” She muttered while slightly shaking her head. He seemed innocent enough that Dr. Reyes let the comments slide. “Connor, how about you show me to my room, okay?”

Connor nodded and took up Cecilia’s luggage, not giving her another reply. For Xavier’s part, his lips pressed together in a tight smirk.

“One of the finest,” the Professor said in answer to her rhetorical question. “Once you get settled, perhaps you would be so kind to join me for dinner? I typically take it in my study, away from the student body.” A sneaking suspicion told Charles that Cecilia would appreciate the same detachment, at least for her first day on campus. “I’m sure you will have compiled a list or two by then.”

“Ah yes, of course.” Dr. Reyes seemed distracted by the way that Connor was picking up her bag of medical supplies. “I’ll have Connor show me where to go on our way to my quarters… hey, slow down there is glass inside of there!”

Before Connor could reply a high pitched and shrill shriek filled the crisp winter air. The sound was jarring and uncomfortable to anyone who heard it as a block of black birds took to the sky in a fearful response to their discomfort.

"What the heck was that?" Cecilia replied as her free hand moved to her ear.

Continued in "Musical Friends"

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