It was his bar, so he wasn’t worried about who would see them together. It was known that his dive bar hovered between a meeting ground for off duty officers and the occasional criminal. Sam had a set of rules that most people that would cause an issue knew about. He didn’t want any trouble form anyone but he’d uphold the law if he needed to. As long as you didn’t do anything that caused Sam to interfere it was pretty much fair game. Meaning the occasional biker gang showed up to take some money from said off duty officers.

A pint of beer sat next to him. Coffee, black in front of him. The icemancer took a sip with his back to the rest of the bar and it’s patrons. He leaned over his cup and closed his eye enjoying the smell of the roast.

He was tired, it was visible. Sam pulled another all-nighter every time he was about to sleep something happened in the city. With Mirror and Becca getting ready for the kid he knew it was important for them not to worry about anything at all so instead of asking if they needed anything Sam decide to volunteer for pretty much everything; Fire? he was the extinguisher. A gunman? He was the iceman. Cat in a tree? He was the guy with scratches all over his arm.

”Took you long enough, didn’t think the flight would have had so many delays.” Sam said opening his eye to the coffee before a sip. ”The kids?” he asked already knowing they were back with their mother and under protection of their newly appointed guards. ”Heard the aunt had a thing for you.” he nodded to the pint glass.

"Jesus Chirst man! What the hell?"

Shade slipped out from the darkness shadow in the bar. A nearby patron exclaimed as Shade's body became visible, appearing to materialize from thin air. Shade ignored the half-drunk man and approached Cold Steel from behind. Shade stalked towards him, eyeing Cold Steel's neck. It was so tempting. Not that Shade could do anything, but it was very tempting.

"Took you long enough..." Cold Steel's words snapped him out of his predator mode. Shade knew he could never sneak up on his guy.

"The kids are fine." Shade said, dropping onto the nearby bar stool before taking a gulp from the beer in front of him. "You know I hate dealing with kids."

"Heard the aunt had a thing for you."


"The aunt must have a thing for dark, mysterious types." Shade replied.

Was that a joke? Shade thought to himself. He shook his head. He was hanging around Cold Steel too much.

The icemancer ignored the initial threat from Shade’s glance. They had been working together for a while now. Sam hoped at this point when he appeared into a room he didn’t want to kill Sam. Sam knew he was protected as well. The ‘promises’ made sure of that.

”I know.” he sipped his coffee. ”We don’t always get to choose who we save.” it was something he reminded himself ever day. ”But ‘those’ kids have a father who has the ability to influence some pretty powerful people. People that could help mutants in the long run.” he was an X-men. It would have been bad if Sam got directly involved.

The icemancer coughed when he heard the joke having some coffee go down the wrong pipe. Sam started to laugh after the initial inhale of the liquid. ”Maybe it was your sense of humor.” he said into his cup.

”Wasn’t too messy?” Sam asked his shadow.

"You told me not to traumatize the kids. We don't want them telling their father about a murderous mutant now, wonuld we?" Shade replied, taking another large swig from his beer. He shifted his unseen gaze towards the other patrons in the room. The bar was sparsely populated. Most were relieving themselves after a long day. No one paid much attention to anyone but themselves. Shade turned back to Cold Steel, confident no one was dangerous enough to pose a threat.

"Do you have other orders at this time?" Shade asked, swirling the beer in his glass.

The air got cold around Shade; it wasn’t a threat more of a reminder. ”No, no we wouldn’t.” Sam sipped his coffee as his smile faded. He had hoped the ‘orders’ he gave would help Shade realize what he was doing before the promises wasn’t helping anyone other than Shade. Sam understood though, Shade was essentially a prisoner. The ‘promises’ made the cell. Other than that Shade had free reign though. ”Do you want some already?” the icemancer asked.

”Figured you’d want to kick back and enjoy being back in the city. Maybe grab a drink with some of your order friends.” Sam spoke before he thought about it. For the most part the Order didn’t really exist anymore. The people were still there but the organization seemed to have collapsed in on it’s self. Something Sam was happy about. They wanted Mutant supremacy, Sam wanted coexistence. Eventually they would have bumped heads.

Sam set his coffee down and pointed at it when he noticed the bartender looking his way. Another beer and a coffee refill soon found their way in front of them. ”Or is it you just want to stay busy?” Sam asked curiously. ”Keep your mind off of something…” he wondered. ”I can find something if you want.” behind them some people started to get rowdy over a pool game that was just won. Sam ignored them.

”There has been talk of a new gang on the docks. Deal in anti-mutant merchandise.” he said figuring that would be more up his alley.

It was Shade's turn to laugh. The Order, what a joke? There was nothing left of the Order now, except the giant golden doors that hung in front of the Sanctuary. The only reason they were still there was because not many people could move that amount of metal.

Shade hadn't thought it would deteriorate so fast after he- Shade coughed, feeling the promises tighten around his heart. He hadn't done anything, Shade reminded himself. He chugged the left of his beer to hide his discomfort, so Cold Steel wouldnt suspect too much.

Shade slid the empty glass to the barkeep as another took its place."Anti-mutant? What does that entail?" Shade asked, his curiosity peaked.

Sam shrugged not because he didn’t know what the anti-mutant merchandise was it was a variety of things. ”Just how it sounds.” Sam said looking above the bar at the clock it wasn’t too late yet. He still had some time before his plans with Cora.

”Just talk though, why I haven’t had time to check it out yet. Maybe you want to go have a look for me.” he asked into his coffee. ”On second thought, I’ll join you. Got to make sure you aren’t too rusty.” Sam said smirking almost joking with Shade like they were friends.

”The talk I heard was they throw in a collar with every sale. Too good to pass up.” Sam said repeating what was said to him in between punching the guys face in. ”It wasn’t a solid lead, when I got there the warehouse was cleared out.” he shrugged, ”Didn’t have a trail to follow after that. So still looking.”

”What do you think?” Sam asked.

Shade took another swig from his new beer. The alcohol helped to dull the pain in his chest. He listened with modest interest as Cold Steel explained what he had found so far. Shade frowned at hearing that the warehouse was cleared out. Cold Steel might have caught it, if the ice mutant was watching close enough. He didn't like the sound of it. Amateurs wouldn't have access to mutant collars, and they wouldn't disappear if one of their contacts turned up missing. There was more to the story, whether Cold Steel suspected it or not. And Shade didn't like tag-a-longs. Shade was made to be invisible. He could slip in and out of nearly anywhere without any issues. Accompanied by nearly anyone else hindered him greatly. However, he doubted that would stop Cold Steel.

"Maybe you should buy some. And we see what we get from there?" Shade suggested.

”No dice, every time I set something up they get skittish.” he gestured towards his mug, not the one he was drinking from. ”People are finally starting to wise up when it comes to selling to a one eyed man.” he said, ”I could get a proxy involved though,” he shrugged, ”I got you.”” the icemancer sipped his mug.

”I could take you to where the last warehouse was. It was one of mine actually.” Sam said, ”Another reason I want them off the streets. They are making me look bad.” Sam said setting his coffee mug down. ”I don’t like it when they give me the slip. Means more work.” he looked around, ”Already got too much to do.” he complained more into his mug smelling the coffee.

”Unless you want to try buying.” he shrugged again, ”You still run in some of those circles right?”

"I don't think I ever ran in those circles." Shade replied, draining his second beer. The beer dulled his senses, dulled his pain."My old circles would probably murder those people.'

"However...I bet an invisible man could get a lot closer than a half blind guy." Shade said, sliding his empty beer glass across the bar to the bartender. He withdrew an invisible blade from his sleeve and fiddled with it before it dissolved into smoke. Should I pay them a visit?

”Times like this I miss your old circles.” he said before shaking his head, ”I will never admit to that. Just they were easier to read than someone I don’t know.” Sam said sipping his coffee. ”No one you would know?” he asked hopeful but was pretty sure there wasn’t much help there. Shade had been doing a bunch of jobs for him recently.

”What I say about knives in my bar?” Sam asked raising an eyebrow to the shadow jumper. ”This place is a weapon away from a fight and while I don’t mind getting into it I don’t like buying new stuff.” he said frowning before turning and yelling at the pool players they were starting to get a little rowdy.

Sam sent a chill there way before turning back to Shade, ”I see better than you think.” he said with a smirk into his coffee. ”Only if you gather information instead of attacking. I want to find who is managing it and whose buying. I don’t like not knowing things, especially when they happen on my properties.” he said sulking into his mug. ”However, you know me. I can be there A.S.A.P." Cora would understand if something came up right?