I do not own X-Men: Days of Future Past.

I am slightly obsessed with it though. Obviously.

Through Eyes of Orange and Blue

Chapter 1: Start of a Beautiful Friendship

"Can I help you?"

Whoa, check out that hair. Man, is that what you meant to do?

"What happened to the school?"

"The school's been shut for years. Are you a parent?"

Hank was already feeling a little annoyed by the dark shades that hid the big guy's eyes.

"I sure hope not! Who are you?"

Growl.

Hush, Beast. Not now.

"I'm Hank. Hank McCoy. I look after the house."

The big guy huffed in derision and gestured, his mischievous dark eyes now revealed as he had removed his glasses.

"You're Beast?"

A sarcastically doubtful statement if Hank had ever heard one.

Instant bristles of annoyance . . .

And why can't I be?

Mixed with an overwhelmingly chilling bout of anxiety . . .

How do you know that? I never told anybody but Hope . . .

Flooded him as the big guy continued talking. He seemed to be very good at that.

"Look at you. Well, I guess you're a late bloomer."

Oh, great, another smart aleck. Well, I'm done here.

Hank spoke up in curt tone, painting a politely dismissive smile on his strained face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He moved quickly to close the heavy door, but not quickly enough. The big hairy guy reached out his hands and stopped the door.

And he's super strong too. Ugh, fantastic.

"Where's the professor?"

Hank pushed as hard as he could, vaguely aware of a distant growling rising up within him. Something about this guy called a challenge to the beast. A call that Hank resolutely tried to ignore. But it was stirring him up.

"There's no professor here."

The truth. It really was the truth. No professor. Not anymore.

"You're pretty strong for a scrawny kid."

The big guy even managed to sound magnanimously impressed.

Yeah, and you look like the wild man from Borneo. Now let go of the door.

"Come on. Sure there's not a little beast in there? Come on, beastie . . ."

Don't . . . mock me.

Hank grunted and groaned out denials that even he didn't think sounded believable. But he had to try.

He failed when the guy gave one final shove and pushed Hank back just enough to gain a foothold into the foyer. He moved past Hank with a sure, determined stride and Hank followed him, his ire growing. Through the inner door and into the actual manor itself.

"Hey, I said the school's closed. You need to leave."

Irritation flooded Hank because he'd actually allowed the jerk into the house. He'd never get him out now. This was going to cause a stir with Charles and then he'd be the one left to put up with him in the aftermath.

And Hank had more important stuff to do than to be detained with this guy and whatever problems he brought with him.

But the guy kept walking.

"Not until I see the professor," he answered dismissively.

"Look, there's no professor here, I told you that."

Hank clamped a hand down on the guy's tense shoulder and finally the man turned and addressed him directly again.

It was not what Hank expected.

"Look, kid, you and I are gonna be good friends."

Oh really? 'Cause I doubt . . .

Then the big guy punched quick and hard right in the nose and pain shot through him.

Oh, son of a . . .

"You just don't know it yet."

And he felt, he heard, the beast within him roar as he ungracefully toppled to the floor.

No, no, no, don't lose control, don't change . . .

But he'd already lost control of his emotions and the beast was on his way. There was no stopping him. Glancing up, Hank saw the guy head right on up the stairs, calling for the 'Professor'. Only vaguely did he wonder how the guy knew where to find Charles.

Hank pulled off his glasses and slammed his fist down on the floor. Unable to stop it anyway, he gave himself over to his anger and let go.

Get him, Beast.

Hank heard the rippling of his muscles, felt the blue fur burst from his flesh. He launched himself up after the guy. Leaping over the railing and into the upstairs hall. Bounding on all fours, feeling his muscles respond with relish. Rebounding off the wall, grabbing the hanging light fixture and flipping upside-down and sideways, he reached out with his strong beast hands and grabbed the big guy just before he reached Charles' private quarters.

He flung him back away from the door and roared. The surprised guy feinted a motion which the Beast easily countered and then with another roar flung him out of the corridor, leaping after him, claws out.

Then he landed on him on the opposite staircase, roaring and growling as he did so.

Hank flung the guy down off the stairs and hard onto a table. Leaping after him, Hank grasped the chandelier with his claws and flipped again, gripping with his prehensile feet. He menacingly clawed the air inches above the guy's head as a threat to stay down, growling and roaring while the big guy cowered in surprise on the cold marble.

It had been so long since Hank had cut loose and let his power and strength and ferocity run free.

It felt so good.

Especially to use it on this arrogant, self-important jerk.

"Hank?" a mildly irritated voice inquired, descending itself down the staircase. "What is going on here?"

The two combatants paused as the big guy answered in disbelief.

"Professor?"

Hank, still dangling upside down, looked back at the stairs at the man descending from the second floor.

"Please don't call me that."

Charles approached slowly, heavily, looking for all the world like a spaced-out hippie burn-out. Bare feet, loose lounge pants, long paisley dressing robe over an off white ribbed shirt. Unkempt beard, long tangled hair.

"You know this guy?" Hank questioned, still dangling from the sturdy light fixture.

In one hand, Charles held a sniffer nearly drained of its intoxicating amber liquid.

"He looks slightly familiar," Charles admitted not so generously.

The bizarre tableau held for a fraction of a second before the man on the stairs gestured, speaking in an embarrassed and patronizing tone of voice.

"Get off the bloody chandelier, Hank."

Oh really? I'm trying to protect you while you waste away and I've got better things to do and now you're going to be the dignified host all of a sudden?

A slightly deflated and disgruntled Hank reluctantly complied, releasing his prehensile foothold on the chandelier, flipping, and hitting the floor on his feet.

I used to be a gifted, brilliant scientist. What am I now? A blue, furry bodyguard to a hung-over serum junkie? And he doesn't even appreciate it. This is shameful.

He stood with as much dignity as possible off to the side, still tensely alert in beast form.

Well, can I at least hit him again?

Hello again!

Yep, yep. I said September and it's June. Hush and enjoy, yeah? *winks

Okay, so yes, all quoted dialogue is straight up from the movie. I own nothing.

Hank's internal dialogue and observations are just me having fun.

Everybody appreciates feedback. Leave a review if you like.