Geo couldn't help but dawn a self satisfied smile on his face. Called it. He was starting to think he could spot a X-kid a mile a way. As his new companion explained some of history with the mansion. Chalking up his favorite cue the elemental walked around to the far end of the table, cue ball in hand. Placing the ball on the table Geo lined up his shot before hammering the plain white ball into the organized triangle Grav Bomb had set up for him. The cue ball hit the tip of the triangle with a thunderous clap.

The elemental stood and strut along the side of the table as the hard plastic orbs scattered across the table. Several bounced off of the rails and back into each other making smaller clunks. In the far corner pocket the orange striped '13' ball fell neatly in. A grin came across his face as he took a slight bow.

"Lucky number thirteen. Looks like I'm stripes." The balls rolled to a stop. As Geo lined up his placement he nodded in response to Grav Bomb. "Sometimes you gotta jump outta the next to fly there Bomber. Seems like you found your way." Taking another shot Geo put less force behind his shot to spread out the table a bit. Make the game more diverse. Stepping back Geo brandished his cue for a moment to allow his opponent to take his turn.

"Devon seems like a nice cat. Known him long?" He was curious about the head of Haven. The organization seemed nice enough but Geo had been around the block enough to know how not to take things at face value. He wanted to know more about who was taking charge of the shelter he considered a home.

Geo sunk the 13 like it was nothing and his second shot dispersed the balls around the table. Max looked at the table. The que ball was stuck behind a striped ball, blocking any good shot Max could have had. He leaned over the table and tried to line up a shot on the 4 ball.

"Devons a good guy. I haven't known him long but he's been good to me. He used his own money to start Haven. He could have been a rich prick and kept his money to himself, but he decided to help people instead." Max said.

He took his shot. The que spun from his hit. He had put just a little English on it and it tapped the four. The four ball went towards the pocket and Max frowned as it tapped the striped twelve ball and the pair went into the pocket.

"Well damn," He said with a laugh, "looks like I'm a bit rusty. It's been a while. Probably a year now that I think of it."

The man had a point. Normally the corporate fat cat types didn't care about helping the little man. Most were happy to horde whatever they could like a dragon and their stash. It was a trait that was noted.

"Know what kind of work he was in before? Or did the guy just kind of pop out of the woodwork?" Geo's eye flashed as he fiddled with his cue. His questions were a bit direct yeah but the kid seemed fairly open, happy to share. Not a bad trait, he seemed to have nothing to hide. Then again most didn't, but he wasn't the elemental's primary focus. When Grav Bomb gave pocketed a ball for both team's Geo stepped up to the table.

"Don't sweat it brother. It ain't the championships. Just a friendly game. Dust off some cobwebs huh?" He clapped a hand of the younger mutants shoulder as he passed him, leaving a bit of sand standing out against the black material. Lining up his shot Geo cracked the cue ball off the rail to neatly tuck the 10 ball into the side pocket. Moving around again he eyed up another shot.

"How about work? They keep you fairly busy?" Seemed to be an innocent enough question. Lining up his shot Geo purposely put an extra spin on the cue ball, causing it to veer just shy of the red 15 nessling itself in the corner pocket. Clicking his tongue loudly Geo stepped back out of the way for his opponent.

Max lined up his shot and smiled. Geo was pretty straight forward. It didn't take much inteligence to figure out that he was interested in finding out about Devon. From the way he had talked earlier it was no surprise, Geo was probably looking for a boogie man somewhere. The guy who stepped into his old home seemed a likely suspect.

"He was and is a therapist. Works with addicts and the like helping them get back on their feet. Major part of the company is that as a matter of fact." Max said.

He took his shot and the three ball slid into the corner pocket. Tie game now. He gave Geo a thumbs up and circled the table looking for another shot. He placed his sights on the one ball.

"Devons got me a job as a waiter at the Haven nightclub Inferno. It's not Broadway but I get to enjoy the music and the tips are pretty great when you get the right crowd in." Max explained.

The question of work still lingered in his mind. He wasn't gonna tell Geo about Havens secret ops, CLASS, or some of the shadier deals Haven was involved with. Max considered himself a pretty moral person, sometimes he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of how Haven found a way of doing business. They weren't bad guys though they wanted to help Mutants, and Max couldn't argue that it seemed successful. The ends do justify the means.

"Other than that it's a lot of paperwork and volunteer stuff. Gotta keep the ball rolling if we are gonna help people, it doesn't just happen. What about you? Any profession you have interest in?" Max asked.

He took his shot and missed. The one ball sliding across the table and landing against the wall.

A look of surprise was visible on Geo's face when Grav Bomb informed him of Devon's occupation. So he was a shrink? That actually explained a lot. He had handled himself in a very precise and deliberate way that with that in context had a lot more overtones to it. Geo was never a huge fan of shrinks. They got in your head whether they wanted to or not, it was just innate. Though Devon had seemed like a good enough guy. A nod of approval was offered as his opponent tied up the game and gave him a thumbs up.

"Nightclub you say? If there was one thing I missed about the city it was it's nightlife." His voice rang with nostalgia at the very thought of the nights he had spent in some of the mutant only clubs the Order protected. It was THE place to be when they ran things. "Imagine that gig's gotta get you a lot of face time with some prime time beauties man. That's the place to be." The very thought of having an instant ice breaker with that many women out for the night of their life brought a broad grin to the elemental's face.

Admittedly the thought of paperwork and the bureaucratic system that must be in place with such an organization was less appealing to Geo. He was a simple man of action, that's what made him a soldier when he was an Order dog. Loyal as can be without much need to get into the details. Though the cause was noble for the bureaucracy. He certainly couldn't argue with the results. It seemed to be more people than warriors roaming the halls of the Sanctuary. Though Geo had yet to fully decide if that was in fact a good thing.

"Well I'm a mechanic by trade though to be honest I can be pretty handy with most applied maintenance. Used to own a garage down in lower Manhattan back in the day, though to be honest I haven't been by to see if it's been taken over or what." The motor-pool the Order kept had always kept him busy as well though he honestly doubted a bunch of suits like Haven had a enclave of armored vehicles at their disposal.

Moving in as the 1 ball came to a stop Geo already had his shot eyed up. With a swift motion he got his revenge on the 15 that had evaded him the last round. Using where it landed Geo sunk it with ease though perhaps a bit too much power as the blank cue ball followed the 15 into it's resting place.

Max laughed as Geo talked about working at the nightclub. He made it sound like Max was taking his pick of the woman at the Inferno club. The idea seemed rediculous to Max, sure he had been hit on at the club, but drunken advances by beautiful woman were still drunken advances. Call him chivalrous but Max just felt like he would be taking advantage if he returned any of the women's affection.

"Not as much as you would think my man. Usually the guy holding the drink tray isn't the guy you go home with. I make a hell of a wingman though" He said with a laugh.

Geo talked about his shop. Mechanic huh? Max could understand the man's draw to working on cars. Max wasn't a mechanic by anyone's definition, but he was quite skilled at the technical aspects of theater. Rigging lights and sound equipment had to be a similar experience.

" You should check it out and see, heck your shop might still be there for all you know. I don't own a car but if you open something up I could put a word in at Haven and get the fleet a deal there." He said.

Geo sank the 15 ball but his enthusiasm caused him to scratch. Max smiled and pullespecially the white ball out of the pocket. He lined up a shot and sank the 2 ball with a quick strike. He followed it up with a shot that sent the cue ball into the center of the table, trying to block Geo's shot

"There's no such thing as a bad in my friend. You see a pretty lady you want to sweet off her feet and make feel all warm and fuzzy inside then you make it work. It's not about getting them home. It's about getting in their heart." He patted his hand again his chest several times reiterating his point. "Any man can do the drunken hook up. The real art is in the flirting." Absent mindlessly Geo chalked his pool cue. Seeming more fixated on his task then the words he spoke.

"It's ain't about hooking up with hotties. Swapping stories with your buddies. That's all a bunch of bull. Real rush is in making a beautiful woman smile, feel good about themselves. Leaving them with that confidence and glow that makes a real woman shine, man. I played that Don Jon bull when I was younger. It gets old and hollow." It was strange how ones views could change with time. Younger years had seen him as a womanizer, a ruthless serial flirt who loved a night out on the town and waking up to a girl he couldn't remember the name to. But life was about bigger things. He knew that now.

"Eh. I've been thinking about it. But that was a different life. I haven't quite found my path yet." He eyed the table. Left with horrible choices with shots. He could try to get fancy with his shot but who knew what it would yield. "Thinking of just picking up a job as a mechanic for now. The whole business running thing was a pain in the boulders." He winked at Max as he lined up and took his shot. Though he bounced off the wall where he had wanted to it veered in the wrong direction, moving with a spin he didn't mean to put on the shot. With a tap it nudged the 8 ball dangerously close to the corner pocket. The elemental held his breath as he watched until the game losing shot came to a stop. Heaving a sigh of relief he looked up to Max.

"See what happened there. I got cocky. Almost messed up big." Geo laughed at himself heartily as he stepped back from the table to make room for Max's turn.

Max gave a little nod as Geo talked about women. Yeah he understood. Anyone can con a girl into a night of pleasure. It took real work and skill to build a life with someone.

"I know what you mean. Though I've been out of the game for a while. Last date I went on ended with the girl bailing out early on me. Just means I'll still be on the hunt for Mrs. Right" He said.

Geo talked about work and Max understood. It was like looking at a reflection of himself. He hadn't been back for long, picking up the pieces of who you used to be took time.

"I was gone for about a year." He said tapping his temple, " No memory of it. Woke up in an alley about a month ago. World kept moving while I was away, the guy I was and who I am now, well it takes time to reconcile."

He saw Geo botch a shot and grinned as the man criticized himself. Max leaned against the table lined up a shot and finally sank the rlusive one ball. This game was going to be tight.

Geo chuckled as Max recounted his last date. He had a myriad of horrible experiences himself. Several of which had ended up in the Sanctuary's infirmary. But the hunt for Miss Right wasn't something Geo was sure existed anymore. Was it really possible in the massive expanse that was existence there would be one soul that matched you perfectly. Not to mention the microscopic chance of finding them in the world let alone New York City of all places. Equal chances were she lived in a remote village in rural China and couldn't even speak the same language.

"Don't hunt for them. That's the first mistake. Puts you into a state of mind where you're trying to fit everyone into that slot to see if they fit." Geo pulled himself up onto the table, letting his feet dangle. Grains of sand fell from his bare feet as he did so, collecting on the ground below him. "Instead focus on the experience. The person. Everyone has something to offer, it's just getting it to shine. But don't listen to me on dating advice. I have a guild of evil ex-girlfriends most of whom pack some pretty mean powers. A couple roam these halls." He shivered visibly for effect though he wasn't far off. The first mutant girl he dated could warp reality. That was a scary thing to deal with when going through a bad break-up.

A look of confusion crossed the elemental's face as Max talked about having a year gap in memory. He couldn't imagine being out that long and having no idea what had happened.

"Like amnesia style? Did you just like go missing one day then show up a year later? That's nuts man."

Max chuckled to himself as Geo described his dating experience. The man seemed to have a plethora of experience in life. It made sense really usually those who were more care free had a tendency to try things. Geo seemed to roll with the punches and let the chips land where they may.

Max lined up another shot as Geo questioned his memory lapse. He thought it best not to delve into his death experience in a crowded pool room and searched for the words to reply. He took a shot and watched the two ball bounce around the table before coming to a rest near a corner pocket.

"Kinda. I got hit by a car. Woke up a year later I was pretty lucky to have gotten up at all. Didn't have too many friends before the accident and my family lives down south, so seemed like a good excuse for a fresh start." Max explained.

It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't an outright lie. His father had always told him that omitting information was only bad if the person you didn't tell found it. Max used to balk at that idea but here it made sense.

"Knock up out." Max said pointing to a cluster of pool balls on the table.

Hit by a car. Not exactly uncommon in New York. Most people considered it a right of passage. But it wasn't every hit that put you out of commission for a whole year. Geo clicked his tongue while shaking his head. Showing displeasure in hearing of the unfortunate incident.

"Must have been a hell of a blow to the noggin to put you out of commission for that long. Glad to count you among the living." Geo had taken some heavy blows but he'd never been knocked down for that big of a count. He could only imagine the confusion of waking up to that. Slowly he worked his way around the table. Accessing how to confront the cluster. He clicked his stick as he went, deciding that with the right angling he could get a solid shot on the 11 ball. Kneeling down he ran his eye level with the wall. Deciding the point of attack he made a mental note of the gold marker on the stained wood of the table and moved to the opposite side.

"Well you have another friend now Bomber. What parts of down south you from?" Lining up his shot he took his time, carefully aiming for the golden dot he had mentally marked. Not putting too much force in Geo sent the cue ball forward. It bounced on point with his aiming, careening to gently knock the 11 ball into the corner pocket. Heaving a sigh Geo stood back up, watching as the cue ball came to rest.

"You ain't making it easy brother."

-"Must have been a hell of a blow to the noggin to put you out of commission for that long. Glad to count you among the living."

He had no idea. The report Max read had said his skull had been shattered in impact. Quite a hit indeed.

"Thanks man. I'm adapting, or at least I like to tell myself that." He said.

Geo lined up his shot and asked Max where he was from. The young mutant leaned against the wall and watched the older man as he ran calculations for the pool game.

"I'm from Virginia. Moved here to dance. My parents are high class, had to get out of the pressure ya know. What about yourself?" He responded.

Geo made his shot, and an impressive one at that. The eleven ball settled into the pocket and Geo seemed to have been feeling the pressure. Max moved from the wall and assessed the table.

"You know we team up and we could take some poor guys for quite a pretty penny at the pool hall." He said.

"That's all we can do is tell ourselves." Geo chuckled in response to his opponent. "There are worse places to be from. Midwest myself. Ohio, grew up on the edge of the city and the farmland. Interesting duality to it, I shook up that town." He laughed at his private joke before working his way around the table. Hazel eyes analyzed the table trying to figure his next shot. Chances were with a bit of luck he could sink the 8 after a few well placed shots, but he wanted to see what the kid had.

Lining up the cue ball he propelled it into the cluster. Breaking the clot apart and giving the table some breathing room. The cue ball scratched while the rest dispersed a bit and Geo returned to his perch.

"I've known worse ways to make money." He spoke to Grav Bombs idea as the elemental watched his opponent across the table. "Trick is the set up. You gotta lose a few to win one big one. Then hoof it. Folk don't much like it when you swindle their earnings. Though something tells me between the two of us they'd have a hell of a time catching us." His gravelly voice sounded off a laugh again. The thought of Geo diving into the ground while Max floated off into the atmosphere leaving angry bar goers in their wake. Of course for all he knew the kid could be a pro and Geo'd be none the wiser. He used to get by on younger looks to get false reads from people all the time.

Max plucked the cue ball out of the pocket ad Geo joked about them hustling pool. He chuckled at the idea of the two of them fleeing a bar with their I'll gotten gains both taking off with the mutations.

"Ohio boy huh?" He said placing the cue ball on the table, " I've been there. Used to make trips with some friends to pick up Al8 in Kentucky. Nice place. Seems peaceful."

He lined up his shot and sent a solid ball into a pocket. Then turned his attention to the remaining. Five six and seven stood on the table daring him to come at them. He lined up another go and though his shot veered at the end and glanced the five ball it hovered dangerously close to the pocket.

"Earth and sky, the oldest of the elements. I think we could show some of the boys here a show if we ever found the need to throw down," He said with a laugh glancing at the younger teens in the room, " though from your experience it sounds like you could take me easy "

Another chuckle came from the dusty man as Grav Bomb spoke of Ohio. It was a plain place. Not even an interesting skyline to watch. Open plains and strip malls as far as the eye could see. And outside of that? Endless cornfields that fed it all.

"Not really a lot to offer there. Country life wasn't too bad but I lived in the suburbs." He shrugged slightly as he spoke. He had always preferred running off into the farm lands with his friends in his high school days. "Parents were snobby workaholic types. Cared more 'bout what the neighbors saw than their own kids. Pops wasn't a fan of mutants." An absent chuckle left his lips as he fiddled with his pool cue. He watched as his opponent took another shot. Parents was an odd thought to cross his mind. He kept them buried away most of the time. Easier that way.

"You'd probably have an easier time than most." Geo said, offering a slight smile at the younger mutant as he proposed the outcome of a fight. "See I stay grounded. You stay on my level then yeah. I'd have home field advantage. But you can get up and out of my reach. That makes it difficult." As he spoke about fighting it was clear that it was a concept he had put much thought to before. Geo was a fighter, it was how he was trained. If there was a fight to be had for the Order he was on the front lines, a deadly mutant weapon trained for war. But what was a warrior in a garden of peaceful times?

"My focus would be on getting a lock on you. Foot hold in a quick pinch. Past that some projectiles would be the way to go. I can pincushion something with stone spikes about as quick as I can scratch my nose. It's all about improvising. Changing up to adapt to what your opponent throws at you and making sure you keep the advantage."