Despite the sudden decrease in membership, life at Haven was still business as usual. For now. Sveta made sure things were on track, projects Devon had started continued to advance, and Haven was still doing a whole lot of visible charity work, even if she was not the best face to put to the name. It was a lot of work, a lot of it way more frustrating than donning a vigilante uniform and kicking some ass, but for the first time in her life, Sveta believed in a cause, and she was going to put effort into making things happen.

Of course, one did not have to exclude the other. Tonight, for example, she was trying to keep a charity even afloat while also trying to catch some mafia members.

Haven was hosting a charity evening with a silent auction to benefit a local clinic that wanted to expand on its mutant-specific services. Rich and/or famous people received invitations to attend, and Svetlana milled around in a crowd of ridiculously expensive jewelry and fashion, decked out in a green silk gown, and feeling horribly out of place. On the inside. On the outside, she was doing her best hostess impression, chatting with guests, directing them to the auction and the bar. The drunker they got, the more money they would spend on a good cause.

And if they decided to make a fuss about Haven benefiting a clinic right in this particular neighborhood... well, then Sveta would call their bluff. The green dress was loose enough to hide some weaponry in.

When it came to his sudden fame, there were some things that Akshay was still not used to yet. Though he wasn’t as completely famous as some of the more prominent figures in cinema, he was beginning to make a name for himself. His “Destructica” comic movie went super well and that opened the door to other projects that were deemed impossible to make it onto the big screen.

Steadily he was making a name for himself, more than he ever did as a comic book writer. The best part was that he wasn’t so recognizable that he needed to change his life. He could still ride the bus, still walk down the street, and no one would say anything to him. It was his name that was recognized, not his face, and even then it was only a scant few people who did. He didn’t mind that. There was an odd sense of freedom in it.

The thing he certainly was happy for was the money. Though he wasn’t mansion rich, he was making a good amount off of his work and with sound investments he was doing extremely well for himself. He was able to pay off the rest of his parents’ mortgage, got a few collectibles he always wanted, but the biggest thing he was afforded was the chance to give back.

Charity events were important to Akshay. He was adopted and living in Buffalo and New York, he knew how much suffering was out there. Food drives, toy drives, first aid equipment, Akshay liked to give whenever he could spare it. And now that he was making a bit more money he promised himself that he wasn’t going to be stingy about it. Whenever there was an event or donation or auction that was funding something he believed in, he was usually the first to partake.

Or as close to being the first as he can get. And now that he was back in New York, there was no reason to break that habit.

He wasn’t exactly invited. It was more that Akshay knew someone who was on the invite list and while on a conference call with them, learned that they couldn’t go and instead forward him their invitation. A mutant friendly organization by the name of Haven was offering a silent auction tonight in order to raise money for mutant related charities. Their efforts seemed admirable, honest, and he couldn’t see any reason as to why he would ignore it.

Even though this was for charity, Akshay still felt a little like he was out of place. This had never been his forte. But he still managed to dress the part. After scanning in his forward invitation, Akshay stepped into the party looking as if he completely belonged. A fine black tuxedo, his medium length hair combed back, mustache and beard combed, he fit in with many of the young hipsters infiltrating the wealthier ranks of the world.

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Honestly he just couldn’t tell any more. Whatever. Moving through the crowd, no one really stopped him except for a few passing servers with trays of appetizers or drinks. Graciously he took a flute of champagne before he finally ejected himself from the throng of people and was meandering through the auction listings. Seemed like some pretty interesting stuff. As a matter of fact, he was going to place a bid. That’s what this place was for, right?

However, in his attempt to reach for a pen, his exuberance resulted in his glass tilting in just the wrong direction. It didn’t take much for the champagne he had been sipping at to spill down his fine, white linen shirt.

”Ah! Are you kidding me?” he grumbled loudly. Shaking his head, he looked up, hoping to track down a server in order to get a napkin or club soda and keep his shirt from staining...

So far, so good. There was plenty of champagne and nice tiny bite-sized things, and all the rich and important guests felt really appreciated for their magnanimous presence. Sveta mingled, then decided to take a casual lap around the auction room to see how the lists were filling up. For the effort and money Haven put into this event she hoped people were dropping some serious cash on the art. Of course, she had to stroll by casually, so as not to look like she was checking on the numbers.

>>”Ah! Are you kidding me?”

The man nearby spilled some champagne on his shirt, and Sveta bit back a smirk. Fun. At least someone was not perfectly smooth around here. He looked up, probably to check if someone had seen... and Sveta's smirk froze.

Oh hell no.

Stepping closer, she pretended to strike up a casual conversation, her own champagne flute in her hand.

"Well look what the car dragged in... What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were on the other side."

Ugh. It was things like this that reminded him that he wasn’t as high class as he appeared to be. Though he didn’t make a habit of spilling food and drink on himself (he was a little more dexterous than that), it wasn’t something seen often on the rich and successful. Especially at parties like this. So he grumbled and glowered at his flute, setting it off to the side while flicking his shirt in a vain attempt to get the champagne off.

One would hope that such actions would go unnoticed. At things like this, people got away with all sorts of less than savory stuff. Of course such luck wouldn’t befall him. There were the sounds of footsteps, heels, drawing closer. He could feel the gaze of judgement. Maybe some attendant or staff member, probably getting ready to inquire if he was supposed to be here.

But as he looked up, the presence too close to ignore now, he found himself staring at an absolutely gorgeous woman. The green, silk dress she wore accented her perfectly, and the glittering jewels and perfect make-up certainly made it seem like this was a lifestyle that she was used to. He gulped, blood rushing to his ears as he watched her for a couple seconds, unable to catch the first half of what she had just said.

He zeroed in on the rest though, shaking out of his stupor and offering her a smile. Though why was he smiling? He processed what she said and, really, it sounded more like she was confusing him for someone else. Why the hell was he here? Trapped on the other side? Sounded an awful lot like he resembled someone she had already known.

”I’m...sorry?” he asked, the confusion clear on his face.

Admittedly she did look a little familiar. Was she an actress? Movies or television? She had that recognizable face about her that he couldn’t quite place. Like he had seen her somewhere, maybe in passing, but could find no name attached to her face. Strange, he was usually pretty good about remembering people so he had to guess, given the clientele here, that she was a celebrity of sorts.

”I do apologize,” he said, finding a passing serve to grab a napkin off of and started dabbing his shirt. ”You may have me confused with someone else. Sorry to disappoint,” he shrugged, doing the best he could with his stain and tried to put distance between himself and the antagonistic blonde. ”I hope you don’t run into whomever you think I am.” He smiled, wide, bright, and innocently, before giving up on drying his shirt and looking at another auction item. Oooo, original Steel Woman comic cover! Talk about a find!

Akshay was trying to rub the champagne off the front of his shirt. He seemed sheepish when she called out to him, but not annoyed or surprised.

>>”I’m...sorry?”

She arched an eyebrow. What kind of a game was he playing? Was he still in with SUPER? Sabine was in for one hell of a phone call if she decided to delegate an agent of hers to this charity event. Stalker had gotten her kidnapped when the whole rift thing went down, and Sveta was still nursing some resentment about that.

>>”I do apologize. You may have me confused with someone else. Sorry to disappoint... I hope you don’t run into whomever you think I am.”

Sveta blinked, watching Akshay take a few steps back from her. He might have been a SUPER agent, but he was never this good at pretending. And definitely not distracted by comic book covers.

"Oh my god" Sveta gasped, finally putting two and two together "You're not him. You're the other guy. You're the nerdy one with de words, not Stalker."

In all honesty, it wasn’t the first time that Akshay has been accosted by a stranger who confused him for someone else. He had gotten used to it over the years. Either he was confused for being another ethnicity, called a “terrorist”, once he had been confused for some actor in a movie called “Barriohound Trillionaire”. He hadn’t seen that movie. Sounded like pure Oscar bait to him. But, still, it was nice to be somewhat recognized.

However he wasn’t often confused for someone like this. He didn’t know what the blonde’s issue was, but he wasn’t going to stand around and be yelled at either. So rather than have her embarrass herself further, he removed himself from the situation, calmly stated that she had misidentified him, and pressed on with the auction.

A “SteelWoman” original cover art painting? That was definitely a find. To be well established enough to have a piece like this donated? They must really be connected. Thankfully it seemed that there weren’t a lot of bids just yet. He had money, but he didn’t have ”buy-original-artworks-without-blinking” money. Still, he would put a bid down, maybe he would get lucky.

He heard a gasp. He didn’t turn because it wasn’t his business. But then the comments spilled over. It was that same woman. She had stepped a little closer and was looking him over carefully. It seemed that she realized her mistake but she was stubbornly sticking with the idea that she knew him. Again, admittedly, she was familiar but doubtful he knew her personally.

And then she said it. “The nerdy one with de words.” He felt himself run a little flush at that comment. He didn’t show a lot of people what he could do but it seemed that she had already known. Turning, he walked closer to her, his face a mask of confusion.

”I’m sorry, Miss,” he started. ”Have we met before?”

As he asked this he felt a sudden ripple course through his body. A jittering under his skin, like he had had too much coffee an hour ago. It wasn’t all together bad, but it was a noticeable sensation. Strangely, this feeling also rang a bell with him. He blinked, confused a bit by it and then he began to remember. His store. He knew he had seen her face before. But she wasn’t famous, she had been a customer...and had left an impression on him.

”I...remember you,” he grinned. ”My store. You came into my store once an-” he stopped and gave her a hard look. ”Wait a minute. Stalker? You think I stalked you? I’m...don’t know if I should be offended by that.”

>>”I’m sorry, Miss. Have we met before?”

This was wild. It had already been wild once before, when Sveta expected to meet the comic book shop guy, and instead she got the smoke-teleporting SUPER agent. It took her a while to figure it out. And now she was back to the other guy, who looked surprisingly like the agent, but wasn't him. The rift had closed a long time ago, but it was still messing with everyone.

He stepped closer, and finally there was a glimmer of recognition in his face.

>>”I...remember you. My store. You came into my store once an-... Wait a minute. Stalker? You think I stalked you? I’m...don’t know if I should be offended by that.”

"Oh. Not you. The other guy." she waved a gloved hand "I met the other you back when the rift was open, and thought it was you. Very different guy. His codename was Stalker."

Akshay saw a lot of people in his life. It came with the territory when working in either a comic shop or working in the film industry. There was always someone around and sometimes they recognized you before you recognized them. Akshay didn’t have a steel trap memory but if someone said they knew him, he would definitely try to pinpoint from where he knew them from. Didn’t always work. But when it came to this woman, she was certainly hard to forget.

Exact Date? Time of day? Those details were still fuzzy for him. But it was hard to forget a beautiful face like hers. Even harder when he felt that strange sensation sweep through beneath his skin. It was such a long time ago but she had managed to leave enough of an impression that he could recognize her...for the most part.

Stalking her, however? That definitely didn’t seem like something he would do. Even in his most hopelessly infatuated, he never did anything like that. If there was one thing he held most high, it was respect for everyone.

Understandably it irked him a little bit that he was being confused for a stalker. He hoped it wasn’t some prejudicial judgment on her part. But as she started to explain, his eyebrow shifted just a bit upward. More confusion followed as she said that it wasn’t him she was talking about, but “the other guy”. Then the story got even stranger.

He did know what she was talking about. Even though he wasn’t living in New York at the time, it was national news. A rift had opened in city, a doorway to a dimension that was like this one, filled with copies of other people, all of whom were living their own lives. Who wouldn’t be rocked by that concept? Though he had been curious about the notion of another him running around, he didn’t have the nerve to come back and check. After all, as interesting as the event is, who wants to be at ground zero of an unstable cataclysmic spacetime event?

But the fact that this woman had apparently met his alter ego was strange and a little unnerving; especially as it seemed she didn’t have the greatest of experiences with him.

”I mean...that sounds…extremely ominous. God, are you okay?” he asked with concern. ”I...he…HE didn’t hurt you did he?” He frowned. The idea that a copy of himself had run around and hurt people in New York was disheartening. He hoped he wasn’t talking to one of his victims who came looking for justice.

This version was Akshay was much better than the other one. Nicer, anyway, and less... government-funded mutant villain-y. Sveta felt a pang of guilt for confronting him like that when he was apparently just trying to spend some money for a good cause. Still, what were the odds, for the two of them running into each other like this again?
Apparently, he was rich now.

>>”I mean...that sounds…extremely ominous. God, are you okay? I...he…HE didn’t hurt you did he?”

Bless him. Sveta chuckled.

"Well... apart from getting me kidnapped by a clandestine government agency on the other side of the rift, not much. But it wasn't wholly his fault he was a SUPER agent. The name came from his powers. It was all... smoke and teleporting. You still do the word thing, right?" she asked, waving her free hand in the air, signifying the fun word bubbles he demonstrated last time.

It was shocking to hear that someone had an interaction with another version of himself. He had heard the news and read the headlines about other people visiting from another dimension. A lot of them were identical except for a few key differences. They varied from the mundane to the absolute extraordinary. In some cases they were completely different races and genders. Such was it a wild concept that Akshay could only marvel at what was happening.

But he never visited. He didn’t want to. And it seemed that maybe his reasons were justified judging by what the pretty blonde was telling him. She alluded that his alternate was a bit of a jerk. And now it seemed as if it were so, so much more than that.

Kidnapping. Shadow government agencies. It was all disheartening to hear. but what was probably the most annoying, the most anger inducing, was the powers. Teleporting in a puff of smoke instead of creating words from thin air? What. The. Hell? Of course his villainous alter ego would have cool powers. This was annoying.

Still, he guessed it could have been worse. Looking over the blonde, she didn’t seem like she was hurt or really even that traumatized by it. Yes, things could have gotten very bad. So he decided to let it go. Clearly that version of himself wasn’t here and so he should not fear his reputation being ruined further.

He looked back when she inquired if his own powers were still the same, even gesturing vaguely into the open air where the words appeared. This brought a broad smile to his face. His own opinion of his abilities weren’t the greatest, but they were recognizable nonetheless, as she described.

”Oh, yeah, yeah,” he said with a nod. He then looked up and whispered, ”PEN…” In a few moments, the word “PEN” popped into existence, hovering into the open air. He reached up and pulled it down before anyone else could see it. ”Same ole, same ole,” he beamed. He then nodded to her. ”Same inspiring power up?” He asked softly? Then, shaking his head he stepped forward again, offering his hand. ”I do apologize but I have forgotten your name. So let’s restart. I’m Akshay…”

It was not entirely fair to dump the whole 'alternate life' thing on someone. Back when the rift was open, while many people sought out their other universe versions, or families, there were probably just as many that actively avoided having to face another, better or worse copy of themselves. Akshay did not ask for this, but now that it slipped out, she couldn't really take it all back.

>>”Oh, yeah, yeah...PEN… Same ole, same ole,”

The word materialized in thin air, just as surprising as it had been the first time she'd seen it. Same guy, then. None of the creepy smoke powers.

>>”Same inspiring power up?”

Oh, he did remember. He was probably feeling the buzz of her aura too, they were standing close enough. Sveta nodded.

>>"I do apologize but I have forgotten your name. So let’s restart. I’m Akshay…”

"Svetlana" she smiled, waving a gloved hand at his "Let's skip the handshake though, unless you want permanent subtitles... So I take it you are not working at the comic book shop anymore?"

Svetlana. That’s right. He remembered her having a rather exotic name. It was hard to imagine that he had forgotten. Then again, a lot happened in that time in New York that made him want to forget. Kidnapping and torture being high on that list. But hey, at least now he was meeting here again! And this time he wasn’t a comic store owning lord of geekdom.

Now he was a successful comic book movie writing lord of geekdom. That had to be some kind of upgrade, right?

His handshake was rejected, and again, he remembered. That’s right. Her presence, her touch, it could make powers get a little bonkers. Pulling his hand back, he smiled and bowed his head respectfully. Permanent subtitles were probably not the best idea anyways.

”Yeah, you’re probably right,” he beamed, holding his hands behind his back.

Though he was used to handshaking, hugging, and cheek kisses at these sort of events, he was rather comfortable right now. Maybe it was the fact that there was a face he recognized in this sea of strangers. He didn’t always like going to these things but for worthy causes, it was hard to say no. At least here was someone he somewhat knew and would buy him some extra time to stay.

”Oh, I don’t,” he said. ”Well, not that one. I opened up a couple stores on the West Coast. Not doing too bad. I’m actually in the movies now,” he said with a smile. ”I’ve written a couple of the new comic movies, even helped direct one.” he shrugged. ”Bit of a change from working in a shop, I know.”

>>”Yeah, you’re probably right,”

It was a fair warning, and smart of him to accept. Sveta was, once again, a mutant in a sea of humans and mutants, with no adapted in sight. It still hurt, Matt coming back into her life just to leave again. He took more than one kind of security away with that move. Again.

Akshay, on the other hand, had apparently changed a lot. At least in his circumstances.

>>”Oh, I don’t. Well, not that one. I opened up a couple stores on the West Coast. Not doing too bad. I’m actually in the movies now. I’ve written a couple of the new comic movies, even helped direct one. Bit of a change from working in a shop, I know.”

"Well, that explains why you are here, at least" Sveta grinned "I thought you'd snuck in or something. Big time Hollywood, huh?" she looked him over with a chuckle "Go figure. How is the fame and wealth treating you?"

Akshay chuckled and shook his head. ”Naw, seems my need to sneak into places is done. Now I can just walk in and I’ll be asked nicely to leave,” he grinned wide.

It really was a change from the person he used to be. The constant struggle to get premiere tickets or to get on the list for clubs or conventions. The desperate struggle to find a fanbase. Never knowing how his latest comic was doing and if it was reaching anyone. There was a lot of things that have changed now, essentially being that he didn’t have to worry about any of that. There was always someone who knew someone who could get him tickets and his fanbase loved his work and was growing every day. It honestly seemed that most of his struggles were over.

But when she asked that ever important question -- how was he liking fame? Instinctively he snorted at that, shaking his head. But the second he did he caught himself, looked up, and gave her a wide, shy smile, and tried to wave off his reaction.

”Sorry, I don’t mean that,” he sighed. ”It’s alright I guess. I think I’m still in transition, you know? From not having anything to having, well…” he pointed at the comic print he had been looking at. ”Being able to buy that at the drop of a hat.”

He sounded like he was complaining, didn’t he? Ugh, how annoying. He had no right to complain! He was doing so well! There was no point in dwelling on this so he put on a good, genuine smile and turned back to Svetlana.

”Sorry, you don’t want to hear about my first world problems,” he smirked. ”How’re you? It’s been a long time.”

>> ”Naw, seems my need to sneak into places is done. Now I can just walk in and I’ll be asked nicely to leave,”

Sveta laughed at the joke. Akshay had definitely picked up some confidence wherever he got his nice suit. He was wearing both of them well. After knowing him as a comic shop nerd, and then as a dangerous mutant agent, this version was by far the most likable.

When she asked him about his newfound wealth and status, he snorted first and then caught himself.

>>”Sorry, I don’t mean that. It’s alright I guess. I think I’m still in transition, you know? From not having anything to having, well… Being able to buy that at the drop of a hat.”

Oh, she did know. She had gone between the two a couple of times in her life. Right now things were looking up, just like for him. She was just too jaded to think it would last long this time.

>>”Sorry, you don’t want to hear about my first world problems. How’re you? It’s been a long time.”

"Well, I'm running a million-dollar mutant outreach organization now" she noted matter of factly, making a gesture with her champagne glass at the event going on around them "Well... not really running it. Just helping to run it. But yeah, I understand the part about changes..."

Sveta looked over the guests, mingling and chatting and eating expensive little bites of food. Things were going well. Everyone looked like they felt appreciated. At the door some new arrivals appeared, in smart suits and a look that said they were already bored of the whole thing. Sveta's eyebrows rose.

"Hey. Do you know those guys?..."