There was a lot on Haven’s plate, but really, when was that not the case? The rip in time was having consequences all over New York—or rather, the New Yorks, they were still working to tackle a criminal organization, and they recently confirmed the presence of a government organization on the other side of the rip called SUPER who was in the business of “regulating mutants and preventing mutation-related dangers.” This roughly translated into kidnapping and controlling mutants.

Unfortunately, they became aware of SUPER’s presence because one of their Havenites had to experience SUPER firsthand. Svetlana Sergeyeva had gone missing during the day the rip opened. It was distressing, but tragically common in the early days. People ended up on the opposite side they started, making it hard to account for anyone in early July.

Except time moved forward and Svetlana was still missing. They checked hospital records, police reports, and on pessimistic days, morgues. Haven’s Russian Muse had been officially missing.

The whole organization was thrilled to hear the news when Svetlana was recovered, but the news came with whispers and rumors. The Inner Echelon received confirmation of the basics of SUPER, but if there was going to be another threat to mutantkind on the radar, they would need more than the basics. Svetlana likely had more information they would not find anywhere else, but they did not want to press her for details of her time in captivity. Still, they could not afford to wait too long, possibly offering SUPER a foothold in their universe.

Nate was unsure if he felt it wise to ask Svetlana too many questions yet, but he wanted to at least make sure the woman was holding up alright. After her recovery, she was assigned one of the apartments on the higher levels of Haven Headquarters. As one of the building’s other residents, Nate was able to take a short walk from the elevator to reach Svetlana’s door.

It was less official than pulling Svetlana into his office during the day, but since they were out of office, that also meant she had every right to tell Nate to go away. Regardless of that possibility, Nate knocked on the door. ”Hey Svetlana, it’s Nate! I was hoping to stop in and see how you were settling in.”

((Tag Svetlana Sergeyeva ))

Sveta jolted awake at the sound of someone knocking. It was early in the afternoon. For a moment, she forgot where she was, and she was immediately alert; then she remembered, and the nerves got worse. Who was on the other side of the door? Did they finally track her down?...

>>”Hey Svetlana, it’s Nate! I was hoping to stop in and see how you were settling in.”

Oh.

The blonde untangled herself from the sheets, absent-mindedly kicked a bottle under the bed, and padded over to the door, only pausing to check if she was decent when her hand was already on the doorknob. PJ pants, check. Oversized t-shirt, check. Hair... ehhh.

Sveta opened the door, blinking a little defensively.

"Hey Nate" she muttered at her Haven colleague "...'sup?"

Nate waited patiently for a response from the other side of the door. Svetlana was still, for all intents and purposes, settling in. It was still somewhat early in the evening, so he hoped he did not wake her, but it was hard to tell how someone’s schedule would work when they were readjusting to everyday life.

When the door open, Nate quickly realized his time was unfortunate and he did, in fact, rouse her from sleep. The pajamas could have just been a product of lounging around the apartment in comfort, and if that was the case, Nate envied her since he was still in his work clothes. Her hair was the more immediate giveaway. Normally falling neatly in blonde waves, those golden locks were clearly out of place.

He winced, feeling the regret of his decision, but he was already at her door anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound. ”Hey. Sorry if I waked you. I was just on my way to my apartment and figured I’d give you a visit from your friendly neighborhood… neighbor.” Yeah, maybe a sentence he should have considered before he was halfway through it.

He sighed and quickly gave up on overcompensating with niceties. ”I mean, you went through a lot over there. I wanted to see how you were holding up, or if you wanted to talk about it. If you’re up for that, of course.” Svetlana’s experience on the other side was an ordeal, but she was also stronger than some people gave her credit for. There was a reason she was pulled into Haven, after all.

Nate was generally a friendly guy. Sveta did not spend much time with him before, but he was also not a complete stranger, so it was within the realm of possibility that he really just stopped by to say hi, instead of being sent by Devon or someone to check on her. Sveta blinked her eyes open, which was quite the task.

>>”Hey. Sorry if I waked you. I was just on my way to my apartment and figured I’d give you a visit from your friendly neighborhood… neighbor.”

Sveta arched an eyebrow. Nate was not on top of his game either, apparently. That was good to know. He looked really embarrassed that he had woken her up. Which was probably just as well, since otherwise she would have slept through the whole day...

>>”I mean, you went through a lot over there. I wanted to see how you were holding up, or if you wanted to talk about it. If you’re up for that, of course.”

"... sure" Sveta opened the door wider to let Nate in. The apartment was a bit of a mess, mostly clothes dumped everywhere, but the kitchen was relatively clean, given that pizza boxes were easy to throw out. "Do you want... tea or coffee?" She was fresh out of red wine, but she did need to drink something other than water. Sveta ran a hand through her hair. So far, if Nate was reporting back to Devon, the report was not gonna be good.

Despite Nate’s untimely interruption of Svetlana’s sleep and his less than stellar introduction, Svetlana was still willing to open her door to him. He slipped in past her, careful to keep some space between them. Nate remembered the woman’s power and her subsequent distaste for being touched. The last thing he needed was his own shadow punching a hole in a wall.

The apartment and its owner were comparably disheveled, with clothing scattered around the floor. Svetlana had more to think about than keeping her apartment tidy for company and Nate was far from a fussy guest. He had known single men and women living in worse squalor, so he was not worried. Maybe just mildly concerned.

Svetlana offered a drink, doing her best to play the good hostess. ”Tea sounds great, actually.” Nate tried to relegate his coffee-drinking to mornings and afternoons. Evening was already setting in, so tea seemed more fitting.

Nate looked around the apartment, noting the similarities to his own. Devon had the apartments furnished to a basic extent, so Svetlana’s place looked much like Nate’s if someone took all the personal touches away and replaced them with piles of women’s clothing. ”How are you feeling about the new place?” Once Svetlana was back with Haven, they had her relocated to one of the apartments in the headquarters. They wanted to prevent SUPER from looking for their lost would-be recruit.

”I think Devon missed his true calling as an interior decorator. He has a knack for filling a really large space with nice things. Quite a talent.” It was almost intimidating moving into the new apartment after a few months at the Mansion. The living space was significantly larger, and the furniture was all high-end. He knew little about Svetlana’s last living situation, so he was curious how she was handling the transition.

>>”Tea sounds great, actually.”

Tea was a good choice. Sveta carried her own coffee buzz, and she was not sure she even wanted to be that awake right about now, but a hot beverage was generally good for her mood, and also for her hangover. She put the electric kettle on, and dug up a box of filters from a drawer, setting it on the kitchen table. Nate kept his distance from her; he remembered her powers. At this point, probably everyone was keenly aware.

>>”How are you feeling about the new place? I think Devon missed his true calling as an interior decorator. He has a knack for filling a really large space with nice things. Quite a talent.”

"And money." Sveta noted with a smirk, digging up some mugs that had been standing in the cupboard but never used "I mean, it's better than my own place... and has more funds dan the Mansion." she sighed "And hopefully better security."

The scent of tea brewing was inherently calming, though it was not going to off-set the buzz that came when Svetlana drew closer. It was an interesting side-effect of her powers and on exhausting days, it probably made her a great friend to have around.

Svetlana took Nate’s teasing compliment of Devon and added the very valid reminder of the man’s ability to spend money. Nate chuckled, agreeing. ”And money, indeed.”

Svetlana seemed to be settling in, even if the place took getting used to. In his criminal heyday, Nate often celebrated successful jobs in a new state and a lavish hotel, but there was a difference between a high-end hotel and a high-end apartment. Nate had a room made up for Norah’s visits, but he still needed to commit another room for art purposes so he had something to do with an otherwise empty space. It was nice space to have, but initially, it definitely felt excessive.

Nate noted that Svetlana had the building’s security on her mind. It was a logical concern after everything she went through. ”We’re definitely sparing no expense on security these days. We have it contracted out some extra hands on deck and we’re upgrading our systems. It’s a crazy time; can’t be too careful,” he admitted. As a tenant of the building, Nate was appreciative of the security measures. Without them, he doubted Nat would even let Norah visit.

”Are you concerned then?” he asked sincerely. ”That SUPER might send someone after you?” He was not going to pretend it was not a possibility, especially not to Svetlana’s face. She was a big girl and not an idiot, so he did not have to protect her like a student.

Sveta really had no complaints about the apartment. It was nice, had everything she needed, even beyond the furniture; since it had been too risky to let her go around shopping right after her rescue, Devon had everything delivered if she asked. Sveta did not feel like abusing that possibility, but the piling pizza boxes reminded her that maybe eventually she would need to change her priorities.

>>”We’re definitely sparing no expense on security these days. We have it contracted out some extra hands on deck and we’re upgrading our systems. It’s a crazy time; can’t be too careful,”

"Right." Sveta chuckled. That was an understatement. Criminal organizations were proliferating like mushrooms, not to mention SUPER reaching its tentacles across to their universe. Treating the whole thing as a personal security issue did not even begin to scratch the surface.

>>”Are you concerned then? That SUPER might send someone after you?”

"Duh." Sveta nodded "I know exactly who they would send after me. I'm just not sure he's working yet. But yeah...
I don't think they give up that easily."

Security was a priority at Haven Headquarters because their operation was still growing and having a strong centralized location gave them somewhere to grow from. The building held important information and resources, not to mention several prominent members of the organization. With enemies coming out of every alley, warehouse, and interdimensional rift, they needed to keep their home and their own safe.

Svetlana was one of their own. She was clearly of the opinion that she was not yet out of the woods, so Nate and the rest of Haven would not take that warning for granted. No one in the faction knew more about SUPER than she did, after all. ”If it comes down to it, we can set up any additional measures you think would help keep the sons of b****es out.”

Rather than just knowing she would be followed, Svetlana had a guess as to who the particular agent following her would be. Nate wondered if SUPER had designated “trackers,” or if she just had some shadow government secret admirer. ”If you think you know who they’d send, can I ask what we’d be dealing with here?”

The water boiled up in the kettle, and Sveta poured it into the mugs, leaving Nate to pick out his own flavor of tea. She had many kinds, courtesy of Haven. She asked for tea and she got an assortment. She could get used to that, she thought, as long as no one kidnapped her again. And if they did, she was taking the tea.

>>”If it comes down to it, we can set up any additional measures you think would help keep the sons of b****es out. If you think you know who they’d send, can I ask what we’d be dealing with here?”

Svetlana sighed. She would have to give some information, after all.

"SUPER is good at finding people. And dey have agents who have the powers to do so. The guy that... uh, took me to the other side, he could teleport where mutants were." She doubted they would send Akshay after her. He was compromised, by being friendly with her, and her having saved his life. Unless SUPER hoped that he would sweet-talk her into coming back, he was probably not going to come to her. "Dey also put trackers on people."

Nate entered the kitchen where a hot mug of water was waiting for him. The selection of tea to choose from was impressively varied; it was nice to see Devon was doing the little things to make Svetlana feel at home. He browsed the offerings and selected a chamomile tea, hoping to look forward to a relaxing evening.

Relaxation would be harder to come by with the knowledge that SUPER had a teleporting mutant tracker. He winced at the news, trying to think of the best ways to prepare for a power like that. The initial list that came to mind was short and potentially ineffective.

The trackers were something Nate was already aware of from Svetlana’s brief time at one of the Haden’s Haven facilities. Svetlana provided them information about the tracker implanted in her so they could devise a way to remove it. That little reprieve did not change how his skin crawled at the idea of trackers left in the bodies of mutants so they could never escape. It was like something out of a dystopian novel and it was at risk of entering into their world.. ”Damn,” he muttered under his breath. ”’More guards’ sounds like a way less impressive plan next to ‘teleporting mutant stalker.’”

Nate kept his eyes on the tea seeping through the water of his cup. There was a time when news of SUPER’s growing presence would have sent him far from New York and maybe even the States. Life as Stephen had been selfish, but it also never put him at odds with a shady government entity. ”We’ll just have to figure out new precautions. This is the kind of s*** Haven’s here for, right?” he half-joked. SUPER stood as an ideological opposite: a group who made the government a danger to mutants and increased the divide between mutants and humans. It was the embodiment of the corruption and regressive thinking they combatted behind the scenes. Unfortunately, it had the ability to strike back and Haven did not need more members going missing.

Nate already knew about the tracker. Sveta was glad it was not under her skin anymore, and yet it left a bad taste in her mouth to talk about it. Having been tagged like that, it was, besides all other things, humiliating. That was kind of the point.

>>”Damn. ’More guards’ sounds like a way less impressive plan next to ‘teleporting mutant stalker.’”

"Dat's what they called him" Sveta smirked at the familiar term "He was one of the good ones, though."

She hoped Akshay would be okay, now that she was away.

>>”We’ll just have to figure out new precautions. This is the kind of s*** Haven’s here for, right?”

"Right." Sveta nodded. Haven rescued her, after all. She believed in them before, but now she also owed them, and they were the only game in time that even had the chance of putting up a fight against SUPER. "You know, I don't even understand how SUPER can do dis on our side. Shouldn't it be illegal? They are technically not our government..."

Nate quirked an eyebrow at the way Svetlana was talking about one of her captors. Her time with SUPER was too short to think Stockholm Syndrome would set in, so the other logical answer was that she was telling the truth. Amidst an organization of humans and mutants who would kidnap and condition other mutants, there were still “good ones.” It was hard for Nate to believe, but he never experienced SUPER firsthand like Svetlana did. ”Well, I guess all we can do is hope there are more good ones than we would guess.” Defectors would be an amazing resource, but Nate was not going to tread the edges of realism to find a solution to SUPER.

Svetlana asked a question Nate and the Inner Echelon had been contemplating since the news of SUPER broke. ”I’d guess it’s a combination of things,” he answered, hovering over his tea to appreciate the scent rising from it. ”It takes time to organize how laws and systems play between realities. It’s also harder to keep track of who and what is coming and going these days, even with the new checkpoints.” There was too much data for small things not to start slipping through the cracks.

Nate took a sip of his tea, embracing the soothing flavor before he returned to the conversation. ”Then there’s the one clear theory none of us want to be true: that our government knows about SUPER. They’re part of the government over there. We might have to deal with the idea that both sides are trading notes and adopting ideas.” The current administration was not the most progressive, nor was it the most transparent. It was not hard to see how a shadowy, militant arm of the government would sound appealing.

Sveta knew what it sounded like, she of all places noting that a SUPER agent was not too bad a person. It was ridiculous. Then again, it was not easy for Akshay either, having a family to protect and all that.

>>”Well, I guess all we can do is hope there are more good ones than we would guess.”

"Yeah. Probably not." Sveta noted realistically, and took a seat, nursing her tea. Akshay had helped her, but that did not mean she had to have illusions about the place.

>>”I’d guess it’s a combination of things. It takes time to organize how laws and systems play between realities. It’s also harder to keep track of who and what is coming and going these days, even with the new checkpoints.”

Sveta scoffed at that. Chaos was the best way to describe what was going on around the rip on both sides; some organizations liked to give the illusion of control, but really, no one was sure how to deal with a rip in reality. "People get through dere like dey are walking in the park." The good ones and the bad ones alike.

>>”Then there’s the one clear theory none of us want to be true: that our government knows about SUPER. They’re part of the government over there. We might have to deal with the idea that both sides are trading notes and adopting ideas.”

"I'd like to say dat's not true" Sveta sighed, rubbing her forehead "But honestly, I can imagine out government would do that. Have another dimension with no culpability take care of their mutant problem? That sounds too good not to jump on..." she frowned "You know, the scary part is, a bunch of SUPER agents I met really believed they were making the world a safer place, and helping mutants to..."

Definitely no Stockholm Syndrome. One SUPER Agent seemed to make a positive impression on Svetlana, but she was not buying into the Kool-Aid. She was a realist, which suited Haven just fine. They had lofty, optimistic goals, but they knew idealism was only the result of a realistic mindset willing to see the world for what it was. SUPER was twisted and the Rip security checkpoints were a joke. That was their world.

Nate was not hoping to upset Svetlana, but she was in the thick of their problems as much as anyone else, if not more. He stifled his own disappointment with a soothing sip of his tea. Gun to his head, he would say they hit the nail on the head: their government could use the other world’s SUPER as a dumping ground for the mutant problem. It was disgusting, but if Nate saw the world from the position of anti-mutant politicians, or even just pandering politicians, he saw the pragmatism of the plan.

It was interesting to get insight into SUPER. They were “the enemy,” but they were still humans and mutants with real motivations. Svetlana was exposed to those motivations first hand. Nate shrugged his shoulders. ”Of course. No one really thinks they’re the bad guy. I can see where they’re coming from. Mutants can be a danger to themselves. Regulation and monitoring keeps everyone safe.”

Nate took another sip of his tea and sighed. ”They’re wrong, obviously, but it must be an easy way to sleep at night after a busy day of abductions.” Comic book villains were a product of comic books; real life villains were convinced they were the heroes in a different story.