Interview with the Phoenix
By: Joy Howlett
A/N: Inspired by looking through a Vogue magazine. I used myself as the reporter.
Disclaimers: The characters belong to Marvel and Vogue belongs to Conde Nast Publications
Summary: Something I thought up while looking at a magazine. Shed some new light on the upcoming. My interview with the Phoenix after her comeback. What does she plan next? My first fic!
The Heroine
Beauty by nature. Mutant by evolution. Jean Grey has grown up in a world that fears and hates mutants. But that does not stop her for seeing the unexpected future. Joy Howlett reports on Earth's last protector.
After a meeting with the editors, they wanted something to stand-out from the rest of the fashion magazines. For us writers that could be anything, until my editor threw the Daily Bugle on the table.
On the cover was a beautiful woman that stood out from the crowd in the photo. The headline was Mutant Saves the World. Everyone looked at the editor like she grew a second head. She wanted what no other magazine or newspaper would touch – an interview with a mutant. My editor wanted to know who she is and shed some light for mutants. It's the twenty-first century for god sake. Get your head out of the mud, was all my editor would say. I decided to take story.
I knew the woman on the paper. Her name is Jean Grey. I remembered her about over a year ago back when Professor Charles Xavier outed the school on television. Jean became the spokeswoman for the school when they invited a few reporters to do a story about the school. However, I remember Jean as a model a few years back. I saw a few of her spreads when I was a young teenager. I thought she had the most beautiful eyes and she was pretty. Now, she looks gorgeous and she has not changed much. I could not tell that she was a mutant then or now. She looked like any other woman I would meet on the street.
I did as much research on her, the school and past events, for the interview. I was aware that she could read minds, but I was not sure how she is in person. I crossed my fingers for luck and made the call. A young woman answered the phone and calls herself Kitty. I asked for Miss Jean Grey and that I was a reporter for Vogue magazine and wanted to speak with her for an interview. Kitty told me to hold, but she said it with more of a high pitch voice. I guess she is a loyal reader. Eventually Jean picked up the call. I explained everything to her and asked if she was interested. Hesitant at first, but she agreed.
Two weeks since that phone call, I find myself driving up to Westchester and on the driveway of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. There were a few kids playing at the front lawn and paused at their activities to curiously look at the incoming visitor. I must admit I was nervous at first until I was greeted, with a smile, by a beautiful redhead. Grey was wearing a charcoal suit and a white buttoned shirt that was half open showing her neckline. Her matching blazer was left open, but still made a presence that she was in charge. After exchanging greetings, she led me into her office.
The school looked like any other mansion I have been in for photo shoots, but it was converted into a school for mutants. The furniture was a mixture of expensive elegance and modern. In Grey's office, it could almost be best described as a close replica to the Oval Office. It had the big cherry wood desk by the window; a matching bookcase by the walls; pictures of past students and faculty hung on the walls; and two brown leather sofas opposite each other in the middle of the room. Grey offered me a seat and she sat next to me on the sofa. She offered tea and some finger foods (really good cucumber sandwiches I have tasted) and slipped off her black stiletto shoes and tucked one of her feet under her thigh. I noticed the shoes and noted to her that she has great taste. "Manolo Blahiks," she says with a smirk. I smiled back approving her taste in shoes. "A woman still needs her splurges every once in awhile." She had a point.
Before the actual interview started, I told her that I was aware of her telepathic abilities. "I am not the kind of person who will pry into people's thoughts without their consent," she assured me. "Unless I catch a stray thought, but I'll keep that to myself. I was taught that you have to respect other people's privacy, even if I can see and hear what they are thinking. Until desperate times comes desperate measures." With that assurance, we started to talk.
Today Grey, who is considered to be the most powerful mutant on Earth, is the newly appointed headmaster of the school. As the first student, first X-Woman, and protégé of Xavier, she is the most qualified to run the school. Albeit saving the world from alien invasions to inner turmoil of mutant haters, Grey has always believed that one day there will be some appreciation and acceptance towards what is left of the mutant population. Until then, she is educating people that not all mutants chose to take a road of less then greener pastures.
Grey never sought out this road of saving the world, but just to be able to get control of her powers before she hurts herself or to others. Since her tutelage under Xavier, she has believed in a better world who accepts people like her. Unfortunately, as she was growing up, it was not the world she has come to know. She wants to change that, in her own way.
She is the youngest of two from Annadale-on-Hudson, New York. Grey was just like any other young and innovating girl. When she was 11 years old, she lost her friend, Anne, right in front of her eyes by a hit and run driver. Grey cradled her friend in the middle of the street while help was arriving. With the high levels of stress that she endured, Grey's telepathic powers manifested. "It was a bit awkward because I wasn't sure what had happened. I just suddenly found myself in a black room and there was Anne standing in front of me. I could feel what Anne was feeling. She was sad and I felt something fading away as if she was dying. This was the first time I ever felt death. She looked right at me and said she wasn't feeling so good. Next thing I knew, she started to fade away and she was gone." Grey was found unconscious when the paramedics arrived, but her friend died on the scene from severe internal injuries. Grey was in a coma for a month until her father, Professor John Grey, contacted Xavier for help. Since then, Grey's family had been supportive by the discovery of her mutant powers (which includes telekinesis and pyro-kinesis) and was left to Xavier to help control her new gift.
Unlike her family, many have disowned their mutant children upon discovery and had no place to go. Xavier had a plan to open up a school for mutants, but disguised it as a school for the "gifted" for safety reasons. Grey was the first student and as time went, a few more came to the mansion. Grey joked that she liked being the only student. "I had all the attention for a couple of years. By the time I was 17, Charles decided to recruit more students so I wouldn't be lonely. Who would have thought it was going to be the story of my life."
At the same time, Grey joined in with Xavier's group of X-Men to protect other mutants from the ones who fear and hate them. Being the only female of the group was a little daunting at first, but found some haven in it as well. She gave a small smile remembering being introduced to her new colleagues. "It was intimidating being the only girl in the group. Four guys and a girl. All of them trying to get my attention, except for one. He was quiet, cute, a bit of a wallflower until he offered me a chair. I married that guy a few years later." That guy is Scott Summers, the leader of the X-Men and co-headmaster of the school. I asked if she was still married as I remembered the last interview she gave, her name was hyphenated. She bit her lower lip almost hesitating to answer, but she answered. "We had some problems that were not handled well and we had a bit of a falling out. I could not say I blame him completely, but I share some of the blame too. When the dust settled, we manage to actually have a conversation about what the future holds between us, the school and the team. I offered the divorce papers, he accepted it, and we moved on. I won't lie to you that it didn't hurt. It took me awhile to realize that a relationship that I saw will last until the end of time was prematurely interrupted. I was completely distraught by the whole thing. All I can say is that I still do care for him and wish him the best."
As we continued talking, there was a knock at the door. Grey telepathically signaled to let themselves in. A young, redheaded lady came in who looked liked the spitting image of Grey only with shorter hair. At first I thought it was a younger sister or cousin, but Grey introduced her as her daughter, Rachel. As my face of skepticism showed, the elder Grey explained that she was from another timeline since Jean looked to young to have a daughter who looked like she was 20. I reassured Rachel that this was not the first time I heard of time traveling as I once interviewed Dr. Reed Richards a few years ago. Since there was a family member in the room, I took the opportunity to ask Rachel about her mom. She hesitantly looked towards Grey and gave her a look of approval to go on ahead with the question. "My mom is a person who would sacrifice anything to save who she loves – family, friends, the school. I find that my mom is the most passionate and nurturing woman I have ever met. I love my mom with everything I have. I don't want to lose her. In my timeline, she was dead before I even got to know her. To have her in the here and now means everything to me." Jean gave Rachel a big hug and I thanked her for her time. As they both gave their parting words, Grey decided if I wanted a tour. I took her offer.
As we toured the grounds, I asked about the statue at the front of the entrance. Again, hesitant to answer, she gave me the short and dirty version of the one to be known as the Phoenix. She explained that it was in tribute to her when she "died" the second time around. "I would probably be considered a cosmic avatar of sorts. A cosmic force called the 'Phoenix.' Everyone knows the fairytale of a Phoenix firebird who rises from the ashes anew. In a way, I am the Phoenix. I died and I came back to protect what is left of my home. At first having these powers were somewhat of a curse both to myself and everyone around me. Now I accept these powers and use them with good reason. Any danger that comes knocking at my door, I'm ready for them." With the mutant population of millions down to a mere 200, they are on a high-level of security for anybody who dares try to harm any of the residents. As for the former residents (mutants who were depowered and had a place to go were released from the school) they are still being watched by the X-Men since a horrific incident taken place after M-Day, when a group mutant-hating cult group blew up a bus full of depowered children. With that event, they are trying their hardest to protect their own, mutant or the former.
During the tour of the grounds, I found that the school was run just like any other boarding school. They have spring, summer and winter breaks. They celebrate every holiday that accommodates all the residents' beliefs. They have room and board. The best technology a student can get their hands on. The food is impeccable. And the children seem to have a great fondness of the school.
As we parted for the day (as I was coming back the next day for the photo shoot), I was greeted with a couple of the students at the front. Unlike Jean who could pass for human, these students' physical appearance could be seen as frightening. However, they are just children and they feel emotions just like any other. One of them had some parting thoughts about mutants in general – we're not all bad. I told them that I knew that before I got here.
The next day I came with some of my crew – photographer, hair and make-up, and wardrobe. Once again, Grey came out to greet us along with a few others. I greeted Rachel and her best friend, Kitty, who I spoke on the phone a few weeks ago. The two were very excited since this is the first time a professional fashion photo shoot was done on the grounds. I couldn't help but smile.
We started in the headmaster's office. While the setting was being set up, Grey was getting her hair and make-up done. "You know, it's been awhile since I have done any modeling," she says with some skepticism. I assured her that it's like riding a bike. She's a natural and she should not have any worries.
After a few shots indoors, we led ourselves outdoors. I noticed that as the day went on, we garnered an audience watching their beloved headmaster getting dolled up for a fashion magazine. Every single student commented that "Miss Grey is very beautiful and that she should the do the modeling thing for real." Another student informed the young ones that she used to be one. There were a few more comments that made suggestions that any teenage male who does not find her beautiful should get their eyes checked. One of the faculty members commented that he "loved seeing Jeannie smile. It's been awhile."
At the end of the shoot and loading the equipment back in the truck, I asked for one parting comment from Grey. "I try to live my life to the fullest and see to it that others live their lives as well. I would like to see people open their eyes, hearts and minds to accept the changes of the world. Evolution is change. That is the way Mother Nature intended it to be. We did not ask to be mutants; we just became what we are. And I will live to see that one day, as I try to teach the future generation that being different is not a punishment."
Hope you like it. Please review and some feedback. Working on another one.