Chapter 1- Phonophobia
"I don't know about this..." Ororo Munroe was standing in the living room of the mansion holding a business card Jean Grey Summers had given her. "She's the leading expert in phobias and fears in the country. Not to mention one of the least expensive ones." Jean coaxed the somewhat older weather witch. The subject of Ororo's claustrophobia had once again come up in a conversation between herself and Jean. "What do you have to loose?" the young telepath pushed. "Well..." the African Storm Goddess sighed in defeat "Okay...But your paying for it." she walks out of the room with a defeated look on her face. Damn telepaths, Ororo mused; Know exactly how to get what they want.
A week later Ororo found herself standing in a well furnished room that was the office of Dr. Padraigin O'Connell in Manhattan. She couldn't exactly call it an office for the fact that it felt more like a living room. Along the walls were photographs and paintings, a few certificates and degrees dappling the wall. The wall itself was a rich forest green. There were two green loveseats in the room facing each other, a coffee table in between. Ororo looked at the photographs. In most of them there was a young boy in his early 20's smiling up a storm. In the few color pictures there were she could see he possessed dark forest green eyes, interestingly enough, the exact shade of the walls ("So THAT'S the source of the color scheme.") wavy black hair, which was usually tied at the back of his head from what she could see. In one picture though his hair was out and falling over his shoulders. His face was smooth and shaped with well defined, somewhat feminine features. There was no other word for it but beautiful. He was a- "Beautiful boy isn't he?" a female Irish accent said behind her. Ororo turned on a dime, her hair looking like a trail of lightening behind her. She couldn't tell if she had been that wrapped up in the pictures or if the woman had entered just that quietly, because Ororo's battle honed hearing hadn't picked up the older woman's entrance. "Well, yes actually." How can anyone be that quiet? The woman who had entered nodded a jovial grin on her face. From what Ororo could see, the woman looked to be in her early to mid 40's. The woman was tall, around 5'7", and had a slender build. She had a long thin face containing almost the same, well defined features as the boy in the picture, except hers seemed, well, battle hardened. They were like her own features, or Rogue's. This woman had a look like velvet over steel. And her eyes were just-amazing. Unlike the boy's forest greens, this woman's eyes were an otherworldly shade of green Ororo had never seen before in nature let alone in someone's eyes. Her black hair was braided back except for her bangs which were thick, but well trimmed. Looking at the woman's bangs, she noticed a green cloth hidden behind them. Now what is that- "I'm Dr. Padraigin O'Connell. You're...Ororo Munroe...right?" her tone was inviting. Not at all what Ororo had expected. But then, look at this "office". "Yes, it's good to meet you. Please call me Ororo. This boy in the picture, he's your son?" Ororo dove right in head first. The therapist nodded. "Conan. He's 23 and reaching for his goal of rock stardom." Ororo smiled at the woman's openness. "Well, I think that's enough about me. How about you? Please sit down. The woman who spoke to me on the phone said you have a bad case of claustrophobia." Ororo nodded "Yes. I've had it since I was very young." "Well, take a seat and lets talk about this."
In a space of two hours Ororo had told the woman of how her parents had died and gave her the age she was around when she had first been aware of the phobia. Padra, as she wished to be called, had told her that the unusual circumstances of her childhood could make this difficult, but it wouldn't hurt to try. When Ororo returned to the mansion, Jean was already at the door. "So how'd it go?" Ororo just looked at the telepath blinking. "Um, uh, well." She's just a bit too happy... Ororo edged away from her. "So you'll be going back?" "Yeah... now I'm going to go to my room... Bye"
A few weeks have past and Ororo was driving home after a session. The past few sessions ran through her head. There was something defiantly... odd about this woman. There was a strange force around her, an aura that betrayed her to be something beyond human. But Ororo didn't know if this woman was a mutant or something else. She just seemed so otherworldly, which could mean she's either a mutant or an alien. The problem was figuring out which one. Before she knew it, Ororo was coming up to the mansion. As she pulled up the driveway she decided to talk to Xavier about this. Ororo locked up her car and entered the chaotic scene that was the regular goings-ons of the mansion. Jubilee had shot past her in high speed, another one of the students, Ororo couldn't tell which, was tailing after the fast laughing Chinese-American teenager who had been away with Logan for a month in Canada. Ororo shook her head. He comes back, everything becomes chaotic. Ororo made her way to the Xavier's office which happened to be the only quiet area in the Westchester mansion. She entered, closing the door behind her. Xavier was at his desk, the New York Times open on the desk top. "So Ororo, what is it you would like to talk about?" He asked, a smile on his aged face. "It's about the psychiatrist, Padraigin O'Connell. I believe she could possibly be a mutant, or something along those lines." His smile faded a bit and he looks contemplative "A mutant? What makes you think so?" "It's a feeling, more then anything. And she also seems to be able to understand things in a way were she doesn't need to ask many questions. I believe she could be a telepath." Xavier nodded "Did you try asking her?" He really didn't need to ask this question. "No. I doubt very much she would tell me the truth. My experience with the Irish when it comes to being a mutant isn't very encouraging. I was hoping you could use Cerebro to find out." He nodded. "Ok, I'll do what I can."
Later that night Professor Charles Xavier wheeled himself into Cerebro and placed the helmet on his head, prepared to search for Padraigin and figure out if she really was a mutant. He began searching through the extensive mutant populace of NYC first, filing through the minds of each. He was about to give up when one mind reached back to him. Though the mental voice didn't seem in the least malicious, Xavier felt himself being forced out of the round chamber and back into the hall in front of the doors of Cerebro. A mixture of emotions overwhelmed him. Disbelief, confusion, wander, and at the back of his mind, fear. She had pushed him away, causing him to loose control, and it scared him out of his mind.
Xavier had told Ororo that he couldn't find Padraigin on Cerebro and she should ask Padra at their next session. Ororo knew he was hiding something, but decided not to push it. If he was holding something back. It was for a reason, she told herself. However, she couldn't shake the feeling there was something wrong here. So at the next session, as they were wrapping up, Ororo dove right in. "Padraigin, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you." "Yes?" Padra's eyebrow was quirked "I noticed something before. Are you a mutant?" Padra just blinked then looked like she was thinking bout something. "Well... yes and no. My mother's a mutant, but my father is... something else. So I guess, yes, I am." That's when Ororo suddenly noticed the Elvin ears this woman possessed. They were usually hidden by hair or something, but now her hair was loose. What is her father...? Ororo nodded "What are your abilities?" Padra only seemed mildly surprised by the younger woman's directness "Telepathy and I can generate a wide range of illusions." Why the hell is everyone holding information from me? "My son is also a mutant. He manipulates probability fields. It helps him escape being found out when he needs to make a quick escape." "You know, if you ever need help, I and Xavier would be glad to help you." Padraigin smiled and nodded "Thank you. If ever I need it, I may take you up on that offer.
"I don't know about this..." Ororo Munroe was standing in the living room of the mansion holding a business card Jean Grey Summers had given her. "She's the leading expert in phobias and fears in the country. Not to mention one of the least expensive ones." Jean coaxed the somewhat older weather witch. The subject of Ororo's claustrophobia had once again come up in a conversation between herself and Jean. "What do you have to loose?" the young telepath pushed. "Well..." the African Storm Goddess sighed in defeat "Okay...But your paying for it." she walks out of the room with a defeated look on her face. Damn telepaths, Ororo mused; Know exactly how to get what they want.
A week later Ororo found herself standing in a well furnished room that was the office of Dr. Padraigin O'Connell in Manhattan. She couldn't exactly call it an office for the fact that it felt more like a living room. Along the walls were photographs and paintings, a few certificates and degrees dappling the wall. The wall itself was a rich forest green. There were two green loveseats in the room facing each other, a coffee table in between. Ororo looked at the photographs. In most of them there was a young boy in his early 20's smiling up a storm. In the few color pictures there were she could see he possessed dark forest green eyes, interestingly enough, the exact shade of the walls ("So THAT'S the source of the color scheme.") wavy black hair, which was usually tied at the back of his head from what she could see. In one picture though his hair was out and falling over his shoulders. His face was smooth and shaped with well defined, somewhat feminine features. There was no other word for it but beautiful. He was a- "Beautiful boy isn't he?" a female Irish accent said behind her. Ororo turned on a dime, her hair looking like a trail of lightening behind her. She couldn't tell if she had been that wrapped up in the pictures or if the woman had entered just that quietly, because Ororo's battle honed hearing hadn't picked up the older woman's entrance. "Well, yes actually." How can anyone be that quiet? The woman who had entered nodded a jovial grin on her face. From what Ororo could see, the woman looked to be in her early to mid 40's. The woman was tall, around 5'7", and had a slender build. She had a long thin face containing almost the same, well defined features as the boy in the picture, except hers seemed, well, battle hardened. They were like her own features, or Rogue's. This woman had a look like velvet over steel. And her eyes were just-amazing. Unlike the boy's forest greens, this woman's eyes were an otherworldly shade of green Ororo had never seen before in nature let alone in someone's eyes. Her black hair was braided back except for her bangs which were thick, but well trimmed. Looking at the woman's bangs, she noticed a green cloth hidden behind them. Now what is that- "I'm Dr. Padraigin O'Connell. You're...Ororo Munroe...right?" her tone was inviting. Not at all what Ororo had expected. But then, look at this "office". "Yes, it's good to meet you. Please call me Ororo. This boy in the picture, he's your son?" Ororo dove right in head first. The therapist nodded. "Conan. He's 23 and reaching for his goal of rock stardom." Ororo smiled at the woman's openness. "Well, I think that's enough about me. How about you? Please sit down. The woman who spoke to me on the phone said you have a bad case of claustrophobia." Ororo nodded "Yes. I've had it since I was very young." "Well, take a seat and lets talk about this."
In a space of two hours Ororo had told the woman of how her parents had died and gave her the age she was around when she had first been aware of the phobia. Padra, as she wished to be called, had told her that the unusual circumstances of her childhood could make this difficult, but it wouldn't hurt to try. When Ororo returned to the mansion, Jean was already at the door. "So how'd it go?" Ororo just looked at the telepath blinking. "Um, uh, well." She's just a bit too happy... Ororo edged away from her. "So you'll be going back?" "Yeah... now I'm going to go to my room... Bye"
A few weeks have past and Ororo was driving home after a session. The past few sessions ran through her head. There was something defiantly... odd about this woman. There was a strange force around her, an aura that betrayed her to be something beyond human. But Ororo didn't know if this woman was a mutant or something else. She just seemed so otherworldly, which could mean she's either a mutant or an alien. The problem was figuring out which one. Before she knew it, Ororo was coming up to the mansion. As she pulled up the driveway she decided to talk to Xavier about this. Ororo locked up her car and entered the chaotic scene that was the regular goings-ons of the mansion. Jubilee had shot past her in high speed, another one of the students, Ororo couldn't tell which, was tailing after the fast laughing Chinese-American teenager who had been away with Logan for a month in Canada. Ororo shook her head. He comes back, everything becomes chaotic. Ororo made her way to the Xavier's office which happened to be the only quiet area in the Westchester mansion. She entered, closing the door behind her. Xavier was at his desk, the New York Times open on the desk top. "So Ororo, what is it you would like to talk about?" He asked, a smile on his aged face. "It's about the psychiatrist, Padraigin O'Connell. I believe she could possibly be a mutant, or something along those lines." His smile faded a bit and he looks contemplative "A mutant? What makes you think so?" "It's a feeling, more then anything. And she also seems to be able to understand things in a way were she doesn't need to ask many questions. I believe she could be a telepath." Xavier nodded "Did you try asking her?" He really didn't need to ask this question. "No. I doubt very much she would tell me the truth. My experience with the Irish when it comes to being a mutant isn't very encouraging. I was hoping you could use Cerebro to find out." He nodded. "Ok, I'll do what I can."
Later that night Professor Charles Xavier wheeled himself into Cerebro and placed the helmet on his head, prepared to search for Padraigin and figure out if she really was a mutant. He began searching through the extensive mutant populace of NYC first, filing through the minds of each. He was about to give up when one mind reached back to him. Though the mental voice didn't seem in the least malicious, Xavier felt himself being forced out of the round chamber and back into the hall in front of the doors of Cerebro. A mixture of emotions overwhelmed him. Disbelief, confusion, wander, and at the back of his mind, fear. She had pushed him away, causing him to loose control, and it scared him out of his mind.
Xavier had told Ororo that he couldn't find Padraigin on Cerebro and she should ask Padra at their next session. Ororo knew he was hiding something, but decided not to push it. If he was holding something back. It was for a reason, she told herself. However, she couldn't shake the feeling there was something wrong here. So at the next session, as they were wrapping up, Ororo dove right in. "Padraigin, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you." "Yes?" Padra's eyebrow was quirked "I noticed something before. Are you a mutant?" Padra just blinked then looked like she was thinking bout something. "Well... yes and no. My mother's a mutant, but my father is... something else. So I guess, yes, I am." That's when Ororo suddenly noticed the Elvin ears this woman possessed. They were usually hidden by hair or something, but now her hair was loose. What is her father...? Ororo nodded "What are your abilities?" Padra only seemed mildly surprised by the younger woman's directness "Telepathy and I can generate a wide range of illusions." Why the hell is everyone holding information from me? "My son is also a mutant. He manipulates probability fields. It helps him escape being found out when he needs to make a quick escape." "You know, if you ever need help, I and Xavier would be glad to help you." Padraigin smiled and nodded "Thank you. If ever I need it, I may take you up on that offer.