Max stood outside Sanctuary feeling a solid sense of satisfaction. The place was looking better and better everyday under its new management. Max remembered how only a year ago he would have been pretty keen on avoiding the place. Now he found himself volunteering.

Apparently the facility had recieved a sizeable food donation and had called out for volunteers to help unload the truck and sort everything. Max has signed up immediately and that morning after finishing a rather long shift at Inferno had gone upstairs, changed and headed out in time to catch the sunrise.

He was wearing his jeans and the black Haven t-shirt proudly. He knew it was a small touch but anything he could do to show some good PR for the organization seemed a good idea. He found himself standing amongst a group of about five workers when the semi pulled up filled to the brim with boxes of food.

Max spent the next few hours unloading the truck. He had chosen to be the guy who got the packages down off the truck and onto the ground where they would be assembly lined into the facility. His ability made it an easy job. Moving weightless boxes was not hard, though he made sure not to lift too many at once or go to fast to avoid attracting attention.

After the work was done he stood looking around the kitchen and watching as the residents of the place chatted and talked to one another. When he had found himself homeless Max had gone to the mansion, these people had come here for a home. Of course now Max had a nice private apartment in a fancy office building compliments of Haven, so to each there own he supposed.

He looked at the small map of the place for anything of interest. Somethinf caught his eye and he took a couple of turns down the hallway and made his way towards the rec room. He had been up for way too long, but the labor had given him a second wind. Better to go mingle for a bit than go home to lay awake in his lonely bed.

Geo was in his element. Well...maybe that term was a little out of place for an elemental. But Geo was definitely at home once again. The old Rec Room of the Sanctuary had been an old hang out of his for many years. He couldn't count how many games were wagered on between Aura, Abyss and himself or how many girls he had snuggled up to. You know. Just so he could really show them how to do that trick shot. He was fairly certain he still had the highest score on the donated Mortal Kombat machine in the far corner of the room. If not he soon would. It was time well spent and bonds he'd cherish for the rest of his days. Now there were many new faces around, new kids to get to know. He was reminded of himself when he had first come to the Sanctuary. The way the red bodybuilder had taken him under his wing guided him through some of the hardest times in his life. Now he was determined to be that same person for the younger generation still coming into their powers.

"Matchstick!" Geo's bass filled voice rang out and several of the younger residents were playing pool on the billiard table at the far end of the room. He pushed off the opposite table he had been leaning against. Walking up to one young boy who's hair seemed to be aflame he put a shoulder around the boys shoulders and pulled him off to the side. "Don't always go for the obvious shots. Don't be afraid to go for the shot that leaves your opponent in a bad sort of way. It's about the war, not the battle buddy. Go get him." He clapped Matchstick on the shoulder and moving back to his original spot. Grabbing his water off the wood edge of the table he took a small sip and placed it back before pointing over at the blond haired kid Matchstick was playing.

"And don't think I'm not watching you Kazam. Any more Telekinesis in the rec room and I'm planting those hands in the dirt for at least a week." He jokingly threatened the mutant before throwing him a wink and gesturing for the boys to continue. Geo was trying to build report with the residents quickly. It hadn't been what he expected. Most of the faces were new and to them he was just a dusty stranger who rolled in like he owned the place. As the boys played on he moved over towards the door, deciding he'd slip away for a smoke. Then he came to see a new face walking through the door and attached to it a shirt with that fancy Haven logo on it. Geo was still trying to get a feel for the organization, taking every chance he could to interact with them when he could.

"Hey brother! Don't think I've had the pleasure." Geo's welcoming broad smile spread across his unshaven face as he brushed his hand against his dirt soaked white t-shirt and holding out a hand in greeting.

Max walked the hallways and saw that Sanctuary was obviously more populated than he had first realized. He saw groups of people walking, young, old, some obviously mutants. He felt sorry for the circumstances that had brought them here but a small flame of happiness ran through him as he saw that they seemed to have found a home here.

He made it to the Rec room just in time to nearly run into a man trying to leave. The guy might as well have had a sign on his forehead that read "drifter." He was unshaved, his hair a mane hanging behind him, and a dirty t shirt. Max knew the look, he'd lived it for a few weeks about a year ago

Behind the man Max could see some of the resident looking their way, giving him an assessing look obviously waiting to see how the man before Max reacted to him. "A leader huh?" Max thought to himself.

-
"Hey brother! Don't think I've had the pleasure."

Max took his hand and shook, returning a grin of his own.

"Hey there. Names Max. Just here to help unload a truck of grub for the kitchen and figured I'd run in and check the place out for myself. You been here long?"

The guy was clean, definitely not one of the people that generally hug around the sanctuary. He would assumed that he was here working for Haven if he hadn't told him just that the moment it crossed his mind. Kid was genuine. He liked that. A firm hand shake too, something Geo always used to judge the mettle of a man.

"Max, you can call me Geo. Though it's king of the tables around here." He half called back to the kids playing pool. "Pleasure to meet you bud. He released the mans hand, returning his back to his pocket. It was noted that Haven was providing groceries for the Sanctuary. It was something the Order had handled once upon a time, of course he was sure Haven didn't extort grocers for their goods.

"Just been around a few days or so. Though planning on taking up more permanent lodgings here at least for the time being." He lifted his barefoot to scratch the sole against his pants leg, a small bit of sand chipping off him to the floor. "You came to the right place if your looking for a good time. Fair warning the boy with a hot head is an up and coming pool shark. I'd watch your back if I was you." The elemental strode slightly past the man towards the exit to the courtyard right off the entrance to the rec room.

"If you want to take on the champ though you'll have to wait a minute. I've got to step out and take a smoke for mental health." He threw a slight wink to the lad and made his way for the door.

Max felt his face spread into a rich grin. Geo had an infectious smile. You couldn't help but be cheery when the guy was talking to you. No wonder he got along so well with the younger guys here, he basically exuded cool older brother. He joked with Max and even from here he could see that Geo's approval had been enough for the guys in the Rec Room.

Geo excused himself to smoke and Max followed.

"I think I'll head out with ya for a few. Been working all morning and could go for a quick one." Max responded.

Max picked up smoking before he left Virginia. It was a habit his father had passed onto him however unintentionally. He remembered his dad sitting in his study going over case files with an ashtray full of burned down buts. Things had been a lot simpler then.

They entered the courtyard and Max pulled out a pack of smokes from his fanny pack. He lit up and looked at the older gentleman.

"So you said you were gonna be sticking around for a while? Glad to hear it those kids seem to have taken to you." Max observed as he took a drag.

"You so much traveling before you came here? You seem like a guy who knows his way around. This place used to have a pretty rough reputation in some circles."

Geo nodded in approval when Max decided he would join him on his unhealthy adventure. He gladly held the door open for the younger man and followed him through the door and into the open air. The elemental quickly stepped onto the ground, he simply liked the feeling of dirt under his feet more than the unforgiving concrete that made up the patio. Reaching for his smokes as the new arrival asked him if he was sticking around for a while. It took a few pats to realize he didn't have them on him.

"Plan to anyways. Sanctuary was my home through a lot of hard years. I owe a lot of work to this place still. Two seconds." With his final words Geo promptly sunk into the ground beneath him, going past the surface of the courtyard and into the ground that made up the foundation of the area. It was only a quick trip down to his room. Landing softly in the ten by ten space he had carved his living quarters out of he grabbed his cigarettes off a shelve made into the wall and made his way back up. Resurfacing in a cloud of dust he shook himself off and grabbed a cigarette from his pack.

Sorry 'bout that. You were saying?" He lit his cigarette and took a long drag. Listening closely a smile formed on his face as Max mentioned the former residents of the building around them. "Oh only the roughest." He chuckled proudly as he crossed his arms and looked over the younger mutant with an air of achievement. "Went down by Mexico for a while. Figured a desert is about as great a muse you can get if talking to dirt is your thing and you have some spiritual delving to do." What a journey it had been too. He had gone out into that desert hoping to find some answers about himself and grow as a mutant and came out a different person. He still remembered the people he had met along the way fondly.

"Asking if I was with the Order? That what you were getting at?" Geo took a long drag looking down his cigarette at Max. He knew the people he used to work with and the stories that came along with them. Stories he was sure the guy had heard some bulked up boogieman stories about. It was a ballsy move asking that outright. "I thought you Haven types were all about the fancy foreplay and makin' everything seem proper." Another wink at Max was sent meant to put him at ease. He just liked to have a little fun.

Geo dissolved into the ground and reappeared like it was nothing. Max couldn't keep the impressed look of his face. The guy seemed to have impressive control over his power and the fact that he made no statement about it told Max how little the guy cared about whether being a mutant was something Max appreciated or not.

"Sweet move you have there. Earth traveling is not something I've ever seen before." He said with sincerity, "I prefer to keep my feet off the ground personally."

He negated gravity and floated a few inches off the grass before settling back down. Geo talked about Mexico and Max felt a pang of longing. He had always wanted to travel, his parents frequently made big trips, but had never had the chance to.

"I've always wanted to get out of the states. Just hasn't been in the cards for me yet." He said.

He mentioned the order before making a playful jab at Haven. Max had no idea what he was talking about. He had heard that some mutants seemed to use Sanctuary as a base for some things but all that had been way before his time. Max laughed.

" I dunno man, if Haven was too proper I doubt they would have let me join. I was basically a street performer when I met Devon." Max grinned, "What's the Order? I've not been in the city for long."

Geo smiled and nodded as Max commented on his ability to move through the earth. It was close to walking to him these days. Something he had perfected his time in the desert.

"Yeah it can be nifty at times. Faster than a car if you'd believe it. Think no traffic and open roads where ever you go." He lifted his eyebrows to express his joy for the feeling. But what was this, his little buddy had gifts all his own. Geo laughed as the mutant defied gravity for a moment before dropping back down. Then he spoke of travel. Leaving the states and all that.

"Shoot brother. You have the whole world at your fingertips. Why not go? Borders can't hold you." Something Geo knew well. He had spent most of his time in Mexico helping mutant refugees burrow under the border, giving people chances at a new life. It seemed that his read had been off, this guy was just a kid. Not really knowing the goings on he was getting involved in. Or at least the history behind it.

"Seems I got you all wrong kid. Street performer huh? That must have been quite a sight to see for the average passerby." He took another long drag of his cigarette. Talking about the old days felt like telling legends of old. "The Order used to run the sanctuary. They put their foots down and fought for people like us. Back when they started wrangling everyone into camps and putting null collars on people. Order fought back. They fought for mutant kind, fought to show their worth and replace the broken human ideals that's been driving this world into the ground."[/color] The very thought made his blood boil a bit. The good days. "I picked up with them shortly after I left Xavier's. Those were really the day Bud. You would have had fun." Of course that was probably more relative but there was no doubt that the fun, the friendships and the love were real.

"They were the ones with the reputation. I'm sure you'll hear plenty more opinions of them. Biased either way but still. The results were real. It was a shame management went the way it did. We'd be living in a whole knew world kid." Puffing another drag he shot an inquisitive look over to the buoyant mutant he was sharing a smoke with. "Whats your mutant handle kid? Everyone's got one."

As Geo told Max about the Order he looked like a solider who had returned from war reflecting on it. He had been a brother in arms, a man fighting for a cause that was greater than himself. He talked so poetically, and with fondness in his voice. Max gave a small smile.

"You know why I love art Geo?" He said, "You look at a painting, do you know by looking at it whether the painter was a mutant or not? You listen to good music? Do you know from the song? Art makes everyone a person, it's an expression of what's inside a person."

He took a long drag of his cigarette and looked up into the sky.

"I like working for Haven. We may not be what you would call freedom fighters, but I'm a mutant that can help other mutants. People will always hate, racism, sexism, now mutant hate is just another form of that. I'm gonna prove those people wrong, I'm gonna make something of myself. That's how I fight the good fight." Max smiled.

He looked back at Geo and felt a rush of embarrasment. Man had he just got swept up in his thoughts. He had just met the guy and here he was getting all philosophical.

"I go by Grav Bomb, or GB for short. Not really a handle but it was what they started calling me when I started street dancing" He supplied.

The way that Grav Bomb spoke about art was interesting. It brought a point to Geo's mind he hadn't thought about. Of course he was a lover of the arts but art and the street were two different things. Nothing was to stop that same artist to be suppressed and condemned simply because of who he was. That was the world that Geo saw. Potential being stomped down before they had a chance to flourish. Mutants didn't happen on accident, the world went through cycles the way it did for a reason. Why not let the next stage have it's time? Why try to fight progression?

"That's a great notion man. I can see what you mean by it. But explain that to Lennon or Tupac. Artist can't make their art to make the impact if they are killed because of the world around them." He emphasised his point with a drag then held up his hands as a gesture of peace. "Not that you're wrong. Because you have a point. Just food for thought. Test your own mind, you don't want others to do it for you." A bit of advice he had wished he had ages before. Too much he left to on the spot jerk-knee reactions. The cool headed systematic approach of question and question again seemed to be working for him so far, though he was still early on his path too. The way the boy spoke about Haven brought a smile to his face. He was a man with a cause, something he believed in and was a part of. A small part of Geo was jealous, not of being in that particular group but of having a cause.

"That's good that it gives you that purpose. That will keep you humble and honest." He rushed to the young mutants defense as he seemed to regret what he said. "Not to mention a good cause too. There's always someone that's the target of the anger and prejudice. Look at the past and see how it escalated. I've seen the mutant Auschwitz, brother." It was a scary notion, but one that had been very real. The camps had been the first stage. History repeated itself. He liked that the younger mutant wasn't afraid to talk about the bigger questions in life. Made for interesting conversations.

"Grav Bomb fits you nicely. So is that like a whole anti-gravity thing? Wait wait wait." He paused his line of questioning for a moment. "Did you say street dancing? Like with cardboard and shit? That's pretty dope man." He broke out into a laugh as he looked at the guy in front of him. It's like he walked in off the Disney channel.

Geo spoke with passion, and intelligence. It was a combination that was rare to find in people usually. He made valid points and Max found himself nodding in agreement.

"I got you man. It's that same world though that used Althouse sacrifices and influences to drive their point home. I'm no martyr don't get me wrong but if one day when I'm gone people look back on what I did and say I made a difference how can I argue with that. Solid advice though I agree." Max said.

He spoke of the prejudice, of the pain and suffering that his kind went through. Max felt sorry for the man, he must have gone through hell before he came here. He had seen things Max couldn't imagine.

"We as society seem to get stuck so quick huh? We get a little better and move towards something good and then everyone gets caught up in their own crap and forget that other people have issues." He added to the sentiment.

Max laughed with Geo as he asked him about his dancing and abilities. He always liked surprising people with his hidden talent. Few people assumed he had moves when they first saw him.

"Yeah I can change gravity on myself or anything I touch. Make things weightless, change gravity so people fall up or sideways. It's gotten me out of some tight spots," He chuckled, " When it comes do dance I've played with just about every style there is. I've danced on cardboard and ballrooms all the same man. It's all about the music." He said tossing his cigarette into the ceramic pot already full of the things.

Geo closed his eyes as Grav Bomb spoke. Yes. This kid got it. Early on too, that gave Geo hope. Hope for the future of their kind and the world they would one day pass on to the next generation. When he was done Geo simply pointed a finger at him, bobbing it slightly for effect.

"You get it brother. Keep doing what you're doing. You're gonna do great things with your life." Wasn't that all anyone wanted? To leave the world a better place than it was when we found it. Of course that normally ended up with people getting caught up in the rush of life before they could realize it. "We can't all be martyrs my friend. If we were there'd be no one left to fight the good fight."

The concept of his abilities were fascinating. Terrifying for someone like himself who preferred to keep his feet on the ground. Not to mention useful. He could think of half a dozen things he'd use the power for right off the bat. But then again now having the familiar extension of the earth around him would be a strange sensation indeed.

"That's awesome man. You may have to teach me a few moves to wow the ladies." Placing his cigarette in his mouth he held one hand on his chest and held the other out moving his feet like he was doing the cha-cha, or rather his interpretation. Walking back to the door Geo put his cigarette butt in the pot and moved to ruffle Max's hair.

"I like you man. You're a cool dude. Come on. Let's play some pool." Holding the door open as he walked in Geo made his way for the free Pool table.

Max grinned as Geo did a little shuffle in front of him. Max always thought it was funny when people talked to him about dancing. They treated it like a science or some secret skill to be unlocked. Anyone could dance, it just took a bit of time and a lot of practice.

"Yeah man we will get you ready to go. I'll play wingman how can they resist." He said.

Geo ruffled his hair. It was an odd thing to do, but Max supposed the guy had to look at him as a baby. He gave an embarrased smile as Geo did it and felt his face redden when Geo complimented him. Max never needed anyone's approval, he was confident enough in himself to know he had self worth, but Geo made him glad that he had the guy on his side.

"Alright. Though fair warning I've been sneaking into bars for years and I'm not bad." He said in response.

He followed Geo back into Sanctuary and into the Rec room. The other guys didn't seem to mind Max now, though he saw them watching him as he walked over to the table with Geo. Max grabbed a pool stick and started piling the balls into the triangular case to rack them up.

As the two strode into the rec room once more Geo cast a wide glance over the room. He always like to keep track of goings on, who was who. What they were up to and what their story was. Not a bad habit to form it times like this. The youth of the Sanctuary could very much hold the future.

"I'll take your word for it brother. But fair warning." He spoke as she strode across the dark carpet leaving a bit of sand behind him as he went. He grabbed his favorite cue from its usual slot on the wall. "I used to shark people in highway side bars when I was still driving across the country. Gas ain't cheap. Of course it got me ran out a few times." He chuckled slightly as he chalked up his cue. Not that he had ever cheated. It was hard to not develop some skill in pool playing as much as he had. Not to mention people got sloppy when they drank.

"So you ain't another mansion kid are you? They seem to be a dime a dozen anymore." He let out a hearty laugh as if partaking in a personal joke. He had run into so many different X-kids in his time back it was no wonder the other factions were having trouble holding ranks.

Geo gave Max his fair warning and Max grinned as he took placed the balls and removed the traingle. Geo talked like he'd had a wild ride, and Max figured the man probably had a million stories to tell from his travels. He had seen beyond the small bit of the world most people call home.

Max leaned against a nearby table and gave a little wave of his hand for Geo to shoot first. The guy asked him about if he lived at the mansion. Max gave a laugh.

"Used to be a mansion kid. I moved into town to be a dancer. My parents thought my time would be better spent at college so they threatened to cut me off if I didn't go to NYU. So I found myself with a bit of a questionable living situation. The mansion took me in, I'll always appreciate that, but Devon helped me out and now I have my own place." He said.

He understood what it was like to struggle now. He had gone from a comfortable home in Virginia to a studio apartment. He had spent a few months trying to make rent and still have money for food when it finally just wouldn't bold anymore. He spent a few days living on the streets before he finally made his way to the mansion.