840 Fifth Avenue. That was the address that Natalie had been given. So, that was where she stood, her expensive heels tapping on the expensive floors. At least it looked like they had money, Natalie noted. That was a definite plus in her books.

The front desk had told her that the concierge would handle any needs that she had. She still wasn’t exactly sure what her needs would be, exactly, since she wasn’t sure where she would fit in regards to Haven.

It had been rather difficult for her to concentrate on the presentation that Nate Holloway had given on the faction when she’d spent most of the time concerned with a different minor detail: the absentee father of her only child was the one speaking. Needless to say, the information she’d taken away from the presentation had been surface level at best.

The other partners at her firm were on board with the idea of being associated with the organization, but only to a certain point. None of them were mutants, but the association with a positive mutant organization that wasn’t just a group of costumed vigilantes would look good for them. It hadn’t been a difficult sell.

Unfortunately, that was the extent of their excitement. The group of middle aged, human men had no place in an organization for young mutants with a cause to fight for. They were above that.

It seemed that Natalie was not. Despite the potential awkwardness of working with Nate, Natalie decided to investigate the faction further. However, after just a few minutes of listening to the concierge, she knew that she wanted her information from a more reliable source; Devon Hadden, the founder of the organization.

She knew a few things about him, having known not to come completely unprepared. He was young, far too young to be doing the things he was doing. Smart, driven, successful. He was also attractive; almost inhumanly so. All of those things made him out to be a good choice for the leader of Haven. She just hoped that he would deliver.

She watched as the concierge left to find Devon upon her request and took a seat on one of the chairs by the front desk.


“Mr. Hadden will be down in a moment Ms. Ross. Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?” the concierge asked upon returning a minute later. She smiled sweetly, innocently, and was quick to call back to the bar or kitchen to get what the young woman requested.

Maybe ten minutes later Devon arrived. There were three elevators at the rear of the lobby. While there was security at the door, further security monitored those elevators for private chambers including residences were above. Still another elevator was removed from the three behind the security station. It was from this one that Devon exited.

He was indeed young, early 20’s. An inch or so over six feet and with a lean athletic body, he filled the Ralph Lauren attire he was sporting very well. His jacket was a smooth, matte black but the sweater beneath contrasted nicely, starting a sunset rose where tucked into his pants and transitioning to a stormy gray before disappearing beneath the jacket. A soft gray-violet tie was tucked behind the vest and the shirt underneath it a pristine white. The shoes were polished, but well worn. His brow sank low, dark lines matching the black of his hair styled to the side and back. The eyes were crystalline blue like azure waves or sapphire skies and they studied Ms. Ross astutely.

Devon smiled warmly and broadly. This young woman was indeed quite becoming and clearly, she was determined. That hadn’t taken long at all. He approached, bowing his head slightly, and offering his hand, “Hello Ms. Ross. I’m Devon Hadden. Welcome to Haven.” He turned to the concierge, “Thank you, Ms. Frost.”

The blond nodded, “Pleasure.” She turned back to Natalie, “Enjoy your visit.”

“How can I help you, Ms. Ross? I assume the youngest partner is more willing to take steps than the others perhaps?” Devon asked, his tone a gentle humor as he gestured for her to walk with him.

"Just some lemon water," Nat told the woman absently. She had a kid to pick up when she was finished, so she wasn't about to day drink.

She waited patiently for the man to arrive. Her drink request was placed in her hand, and she sipped it intermittently between typing out emails. She wasn't pleased with the fact that she had to wait, especially since she was now an associate of Haven's and deserved to be treated as such, but she also admired the power play by Mr. Hadden. A longer wait gave the impression of power to the average client. It was really just too bad that Natalie wasn't an average client.

He finally arrived, looking exactly as she'd expected him to. A tall enough man with dark features, well dressed, and looking as if he was ready to take on the world. Natalie was pleased with that. If she was going to go into business with him, then a commanding appearance was something that was to be desired. 

She offered a curt smile to the leaving concierge, watching the blonde leave before answering Devon's question. She wanted to make sure that they were alone before she gave him any important information. It was amazing how many people you couldn't really trust.

"Mr. Hadden. So glad you finally decided to grace me with your presence. In the future, I don't like to be kept waiting. I don't have a lot of time to wait around in front offices," she raised an eyebrow at him, less irritated than she was letting on. She mostly just wanted to mark her territory before he decided to make a habit out of things. "I think that's a fair request for a powerful business associate of Haven, don't you?"

"But yes, I suppose you could say that," Natalie nodded. "I want to hear a little more about Haven. The actual Haven. None of that fake front that Nate pitched to us the other day. The other partners might be a little dull, but you'll have to do better than that for me."

Ah so it was that game was it?

>> "I think that's a fair request for a powerful business associate of Haven, don't you?"

“My apologies,” Devon smiled with a small nod of his head, “And I do. I am always sure to be on time for any meetings arranged through my secretary.” His smile broadened slightly, the lilt of a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I do appreciate your patience.”

Devon meant it too. He knew she wasn’t that annoyed, but it was always fun to play the business side of things. He’d worked in enough corporate environments to understand the play. Hopefully she picked up what he was laying down or the game would get boring really quick.

They walked as he led her past security for the first floor meeting rooms. She spoke of learning more about Haven, the actual Haven. Someone was making guesses quickly. He hadn’t felt any secrets broken; people understood they were dedicated to something more here after all. They had to be in this together.

Into a small room they went, complete with pads of paper, pens, a small stage with connectivity for presentations. Devon went to the side bar and began to pour himself some water as she called her fellow partners dull. She wanted the good stuff; yes, that seemed right from what he had read of her.

“We’re a humanitarian organization, focused on continued betterment and sustainability of the individual so as to empower them into making positive change for society. There are many areas of interest and channels for donations made to Haven,” Devon explained. “What more would you like? Is there a particular area of concern you’d like to find in Haven?” He poured her a new glass as well.

It seemed he knew the game almost as well as she did. Despite his age and probable lack of experience, Devon clearly had some interesting things up his black matte sleeve. It was a promising thing to witness, which only intrigued Natalie more.

"Of course," Natalie nodded slowly. She looked back at where his secretary had just disappeared and nodded her head toward the area, as if she were still there. "You should look into hiring a different secretary, in my opinion. You'd be amazed how much information a person can store when they aren't pumped full of silicon."

The two of them walked right past security and farther into the building. It seemed that when she walked with Devon, it was assumed that she posed no threat. If it had been her, she would have still had her guests patted down and searched, especially when their working relationship was still being sorted out, but she didn't comment on the subject. He could figure that out on his own if his pretty new building was ever attacked because of his oversights.

He led her to a small meeting room. It was larger than they needed for just two people, but not so large that they were drowning in space. She set her purse down beside her chair and her water glass down on the table. While her purse didn't happen to have anything dangerous in it, it very well could have, and security would be none the wiser.

She took a seat at the table and picked up one of the pens next to the notepads. She always felt most comfortable holding a pen.

>>“What more would you like? Is there a particular area of concern you’d like to find in Haven?”

Natalie stayed silent for a moment, trying to decide how best to approach the subject at hand. "Tell me why you have so many mutants on staff. You have a number far higher than most organizations," she said after a moment. Nate was a mutant. That much was confirmed, and during her research on Devon, she'd discovered that he, too, possessed the X gene. As she delved deeper into the organization, she found that nearly all of the employees and members were either known mutants or had some sort of mutant tie. There was no way that it was all just a coincidence. 

Natalie was a charmer, wasn’t she? She was adversarial, combative, quick of tongue. These were not the traits you might expect from someone of a charmed life. Ah, but perhaps she’d learned the world was tough after she’d had another life to worry about in that world…

>> "You should look into hiring a different secretary, in my opinion. You'd be amazed how much information a person can store when they aren't pumped full of silicon."

Devon glanced back at Natalie and merely smiled. They proceeded along, past the security that checked for Haven membership for access to the building’s amenities on this floor and higher, and to a meeting room Devon had already had prepared. He posed his question back at the young woman and she replied.

>> "Tell me why you have so many mutants on staff. You have a number far higher than most organizations,"

Both waters in hand, Devon returned to the table and set them down between the two of them. He sat as well and nodded slowly, “That may be true at this time, we do encourage an open and positive environment for all. This government and society are prejudiced against mutants, but we are not. We don’t discriminate against genetics, amongst other things like gender identity or sexual orientation.”

“Or are you opposed to mutants taking on gainful employment, Ms. Ross?” he canted his head slightly, smiling still. “I think the chance for wellness, assistance to societal outreach, and the ability to make an honest day’s wages should be available to anyone. Of course, we have a growing number of human staff and membership at Haven.”

A slow breath escaped his lips, “Considering the line of questioning yet your hesitance – the moment you took – at asking it, I would expect you wanted to say something else, something that brought you here without an actual meeting. Yet you eagerly came in and demanded my time.” His head tilted to the other side, “So why not be blunt with me? It seems you favor a head-on approach.”

Natalie glanced at the water glass that had been placed in front of her, and then moved it just a little to the left. It was identical to the one that she’d been handed in the lobby, save for the lemon, and she didn’t exactly need another one. She didn’t bother to comment on his oversight, though. She decided to let him figure that one out on his own.

”Of course,” Natalie agreed with a practiced smile. Devon had clearly prepared himself to talk on the subject. In fact, the question hadn’t swayed him at all. It had just caused him to descend into a speech about Haven’s inclusivity.

She was impressed, really. He’d started off talking about the organization’s attributes, then gone on the attack, and finally taken the higher ground. Plus, in all of that verbosity, he’d given away nothing useful. She would have to work for it.

Natalie didn’t bother to combat his comment about her not wanting equality for mutants. She didn’t really feel the need to say anything on the subject, when it came down to it. It was a question uttered with the intent to force her to give more away than he was giving her. She was not going to let him control the game if she had any say in it.

>>“So why not be blunt with me? It seems you favor a head-on approach.”

Colour me impressed.

The smile she’d adopted earlier still on her face, Natalie mirrored his head tilt. He’d backed her into a corner. Either she relented and gave up the higher ground, or she feigned ignorance let them continue to get nowhere. She didn’t particularly like either option.

”I know that this organization is more than what it looks like, Mr. Hadden. I want you to explain exactly what goes on behind the scenes,” Natalie said without losing her stride. Sure, she had been the one to give, but she had also placed the ball in his court.

She’d given him the opportunity to either keep dancing around the subject, or give in and tell her. If she needed to, she would continue the dance, but she was far more interested in knowing what was really going on than playing the game.

She tilted her head to match him. Devon’s grin broadened. She was having fun, as was he. Whoever this girl was, she was determined. However, he was fairly certain she was getting a little frustrated. This was a woman who expected results.

He could appreciate that.

Of course, he also appreciated she’d done some quick research, a little homework, and then had the gumption to come in and get his ear. That alone had warranted his interest, though her young partnership and Nate’s mention of her called out to Devon’s curiosity. Things like this usually meant there was something more going on.

And it appeared Natalie thought so too. But only two type of people might focus on the mutant aspect, let alone want to know the truth of it all behind the scenes. It wasn’t a secret they helped mutants, only that they were focused on helping those individuals now. Mutants needed it. Only mutants would be so curious, or those keenly anti-mutant.

Devon certainly didn’t need a guess at what type Natalie was.

>> ”I know that this organization is more than what it looks like, Mr. Hadden. I want you to explain exactly what goes on behind the scenes,”

With a small set of gradual nods, Devon inhaled slowly. He put a single finger on the glass Natalie had casually slid away from her. With minimal effort he pushed it back to the location he’d placed it in. “This is a glass of water. You expect it to be a glass of water because society expects water to be kept in meeting rooms for attendees,” he nodded. “But how do you know it’s water? It could be any clear liquid. I could have come down here and replaced it before meeting you or had someone else do it.

“But you were fine with dismissing it because you assumed it was water and you already had one, one you’d already been enjoying and had been customized for you,” he inclined his head to the lemon. “So you’ll let it slide, won’t pay it any mind, despite what might actually be done with it. In fact, you would have gone blissfully unaware on while any number of people might have partaken from that pitcher.”

Devon’s smile didn’t falter as he spoke gently, “Maybe it’s something better like glacial spring water, far superior to your tap water.” His eyes widened as if amused by the scandal of possibly serving her from the tap. “Maybe it’s vodka. Maybe it’s something dangerous, but still no need to attend to it. You don’t need it, don’t need to worry about it.”

Devon inclined his chin and drew the glass to the one he’d set down for himself. “We worry about it. We want to know what makes it special, different from the others even if no one else does, even if it’s pushed aside and ignored. We’ll protect that glacial spring, help refine that premium vodka, and while we enjoy it everyone else can drink their water and get their lemon wedge. Everyone wins ‘cause we’re all just enjoying the same water, right?”

The young man titled his head again.

Leave it to a psychology major to take a direct question and turn it into an analogy about a glass of water. That was what Natalie was realizing might actually be his mutation. She’d asked him as outrightly as she could possibly manage, and he’d answered in a jumble of figurative language.

With a raised eyebrow, Natalie decided to humour him. With an almost lazy touch, she picked up the glass of water and swirled it with an uninterested gaze.

“Sweetheart, if you’re pouring vodka for your business associates at ten am, then we’ve got to talk about your strategies,” she told him lightly. The analogy had been a little long and had jumped from place to place, but she appreciated what he was trying to get at. Answering her question without answering her question.

She set the water glass down again without bothering to take a sip. She knew full well that it was the same water that she’d received in the waiting room. Anything else would be incredibly out of character for an office, and from the short time that she’d spent there, Natalie already knew that that wasn’t the sort of place to do that.

”Alright, so Haven is this lovely spring water, correct?” Natalie asked, “what makes it different from the water that everyone else is drinking? What is everyone else missing out on? Sell me on it.”

>> “…What is everyone else missing out on? Sell me on it.”

Devon smirked and called back to her first remark, “If I’m pouring vodka at ten a.m. then my business associates are likely about to show me something interesting.” He nodded slowly, “If they haven’t already.” His smile returned.

She hadn’t tasted the water; she had pushed it aside. Devon didn’t mind that. It was normal water, the same as she’d gotten from the lobby. Everything would appear the same, standardized, professional… That was important to the work here and an efficient organization. She even went along with the analogy but she hadn’t quite picked up on what he wanted.

So, if his first comment hadn’t spelled that out, hopefully the next would.

“You sound like someone looking for purpose, who doesn’t want to get left behind. Maybe you have in the past, maybe felt held back in ways?” he queried, knowing she’d had to make strides when others made life a challenge for her and her daughter. Devon at least presumed she’d surged ahead to become a partner already and now was a little bored.

“Maybe you’re feeling unfulfilled. At Haven, we are a humanitarian organization as I said. You can be part of something special, something that will make positive change and do so proactively. But we’re not the spring water. We reach out for it. We worry and protect it. We help refine it.”

Devon stood, rolling his shoulders back and took a step to the door. “And if you can’t offer me some water, then I think I should be attending to my next meeting.”

Mr. Hadden was certainly committed to his analogy. Natalie rested her elbow on the table in front of her and then her head on her extended fingers. He seemed entirely at home in the building; like he could walk on air. In fact, he looked as if someone could knock him down a few pegs.

She stayed silent until he stood up to leave. All the while, she retained the same impassive expression, wanting to give away nothing to the man she knew so much, yet so little about. It wasn't until he had reached the end of his seemingly self-promoting speech that she finally shifted around in her seat.

Natalie sat up straight and looked the man dead in the eye. She didn't like to reveal her mutation to many people, since it could be difficult to convince a jury of something based on evidence if they knew she could alter what they saw. However, she knew when she was about to lose an audience.

He wanted her to show him her water? Fine. Perhaps she would show him a waterfall. 

The door swung open. Or, at least, Natalie put up an illusion of the door swinging open, revealing the hallway behind it. She racked her brain, trying to come up with all the details of the hallway that she'd travelled down just before. It would look similar, if not nearly the same as the real thing. Only if he were looking very closely would he notice the missing details or slightly obscured angles.

"Of course, Mr. Hadden. I wouldn't want to keep you from whomever you need to go psychoanalyze next," she smiled sweetly. Through the open door, a nondescript man walked into the room, controlled by Natalie. "Unless they've already arrived, that is."

Both illusions fell away, revealing a still closed door underneath. She didn't want to have to continue to concentrate and maintain them when speaking, but she would put up more if need be.

Devon said nothing at first, merely turning to regard Natalie with a cool expression. It quickly melted away into a wide smile. He drew out his cell phone, tapped something on the screen, and waited a moment. “Yes, Haley, could you do me a favor and cancel my appointments through the afternoon? I’d like to invite someone into Haven,” he said with an upbeat tone.

There was a pause and then he continued, “Yes. I will require your assistance and that of Mr. Holloway. Please invite Ms. Natalie Ross.”

He chuckled briefly and then added, “Yes, the youngest partner. Thank you.” The phone went away and Devon returned to the table, “I can see why you’ve a drive for seeking the truth. I’ll inform operations to approve the contract with your firm and let them know you’ve convinced me of our partnership. Haven’s primary goals with its select members will certainly interest you.”

Devon pushed the water glasses aside and gestured to the door, “Let’s discuss further upstairs, Ms. Ross. Perhaps I can interest you in a mimosa or a bellini?”

For a moment, Natalie had the rare experience of doubting her own actions. Devon's cool glance at her had nearly cut her to the core. Perhaps she had interpreted his analogy wrong? What if she had just given away her mutation without reason? With that kind of information, an angered former associate could tear down her entire career in one fell swoop.

However, Devon's cool gaze quickly turned into a wide smile, saving Natalie from her near heart attack. The corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards into a smile, but that would be the only indication that her anxiety had passed. Or that it had occurred in the first place.

From then out, his reaction was almost exactly as she had expected it to be. She could do amazing things. Useful things. Devon would have been a fool to pass up her offer. A fool or someone very good at blackmail. She was certainly glad that it was neither case.

"A mimosa, but just a small one," Natalie said as the pair left the office. 

[End]