Tasean was waiting at the crosswalk across from that infamous cafe. At least it was infamous to him. It was where he and Andrew had sat down and talked, all those weeks ago when they first met. That day Tasean had met his first mutant, and also made his first friend in the city, and now the friendship was done. Tasean really wanted to walk past the place, just keep on going to his apartment, but he couldn't. He needed to go there, just to get a taste of the memories. He missed Andrew, and wished that things had gone a totally different route. He stood there, looking at the small cafe, his hands in the pockets of his khaki cargo shorts, the white and silver polo shirt slightly hugging his chest.

Tasean looked down at the ground, remembering that day, how upset he had been because of what had happened the previous night. How he had all but ran over Andrew and the dog when he was running, and then how their talk had eased some of the pain and guilt. Then Andrew had been kind enough to show him the Mansion and introduce him to some people. And now they had not spoken since the mob incident at the Agency.

Tasean blamed himself for putting his friend in harms way, and he had convinced himself that Andrew did as well. Andrew hadn't come to visit him in the hospital, nor had he called since, not that Tasean had made any effort to contact the promising keeping mutant either.

When the light finally changed, Tasean made his way across the street toward the cafe. He wasn't particularly hungry, and he hadn't decided if he would stop for a rest yet, when a familiar shape caught the corner of his eye. Tasean looked up too his left, and saw Andrew, his friend, or not friend, or whatever they were rounding the corner of the cafe. Tasean could only stop dead in his tracks and stare, a sullen look in his eyes.

It was a fine enough day Andrew supposed. Good for walking through the city. Of course walking through the city wasn't half as relaxing as it used to be. His opinion of humans had gone downhill ever since the incident at Tasean's agency. Sure some of these people were probably fellow mutants but he just wasn't comfortable walking around in the crowds anymore. Today his walk had brought him back to the park. He sighed. The last memorable time he'd been here had been when he'd met Tasean.

He hadn't heard from the man at all since the incident. He'd wanted to wait until Tasean was better before talking to him again but that talk had never happened. Between being busy and the various trouble he'd gotten himself into he'd put the other man out of his mind for a time, something he regretted. When he'd realized it he'd thought to contact him but stopped himself. Tasean hadn't bothered to call either. In the days and weeks after that event he hadn't heard a word from him. So Andrew didn't call. He just convinced himself that he must have done something wrong.

With such thoughts on his mind he rounded the corner of the cafe only to spot a familiar face. He looked sullen and apparently surprised to see Andrew since he'd stopped dead. Determined not to let the opportunity pass by Andrew walked over to him.

"Hey Tasean. How are you?"

It was a start.

For a moment Tasean didn't know what to say. He just stood there looking dumbfounded. The gods must really be having a laugh at this, both of them here at the same time, in this big city.

"Uh hi" was all he could muster to respond at first. He was still quite shocked to see Andrew here, and even more shocked that he decided to speak.

"I'm a little worse for wear" he said, rolling his eyes toward the still visible bruise on his forehead "but nothing too serious." Tasean smiled a little, the old familiarity starting to come back, slowly, but not completely.

"How about you Kenn....I mean Andrew?" he asked, about to call Andrew by the nickname Kenny Ray, which Tasean had given him before.

Tasean looked at his friend a little more thoroughly. Perhaps it was the weeks of separation, but Andrew seemed a little different, but in a good way; he as definitely still cute. Tasean blushed just slightly, mad at himself for thinking that about his friend, whom he didn't know was still friend or not.

Some of the seriousness, the worry, lifted from Andrew and it showed on his face. He seemed a bit brighter the second Tasean said that he was ok.

"Thanks goodness for that. I didn't get a chance to visit you in the hospital 'cus things got busy and a bit troublesome."

He noticed Tasean nearly using the nickname he'd given him but stopping himself. Had the attack and time apart stressed their friendship that much? Andrew shook himself and answered.

"Ok I guess. Things have been better I'll admit."

Mostly he'd been injured a lot lately and more than half of those injuries he was fairly certain were because of Rhythm. The only time he saw he was when they practiced together and she promptly disappeared directly afterward to do who knew what. All he knew was that it had lead to DocProf having to see to him for another gunshot wound and having his nose broken. It made the protectiveness that the promise inspired in him rage. He had half a mind to lock her up the next time they practiced together so she couldn't go out and get hurt again. Andrew forced himself to focus back on Tasean.

"It's good to see you."

The smile that was beginning to creep across Tasean's face grew a little more. At least there was a reason, though not a complete explanation of why he didn't get a visit in the hospital.

"It's good to see you too" he told Andrew.

Tasean noticed that his hands were still in his pocket, as if he were nervous around Andrew. This was Andrew for gods sake, his one time friend, who obviously wasn't as upset as Tasean had initially convinced himself. Tasean took his hands out of his pocked and then pulled out a chair, nodding towards the other one for Andrew to sit as well.

"So...what happened after the...incident? I really don't remember too much before waking up in the hospital with a bunch of people poking and prodding at me" Tasean said. He decided to leave out the part about being quarantined because he was a mutant, or the inflated price his insurance was charged for "risk exposure" as the hospital called it.

A sort of smile and a return of the 'good to see you' would do for a start. Andrew hadn't realized just what damage had happened to his friendship with Tasean. He'd been about to suggest they sit down when Tasean pulled out a chair. Andrew sat in the opposite chair and tried to remember what had happened after Tasean had left the scene.

"After the ambulance came and got you it was the usual. There was a media blitz as various news teams arrived. I ignored most of them and really only talked to the woman who helped us out."

Andrew averted his eyes for a moment.

"Though I did have some pretty strong words for one guy who was claiming that you asked for it just by being a 'mutant freak who thought he was good enough to be around decent god fearing humans'. If it hadn't been for the cameras and such that were rolling I would have hit him."

After all, the attack alone had put him in a foul mood. A guy like that had been just begging for it. However instead of giving him what he deserved he'd done what he could without proving all those fools right. They needed to seem like the victims rather than deserving of what had happened.

"I left shortly after that. I don't know what happened after I left." Andrew looked back to Tasean, "So you've been getting on alright then?"

Tasean sat back and listened to Andrew explain what happened after the mob attack. Tasean knew it had been bad, when he went back to the office after being released from the hospital the place was a total wreck. Thankfully the police had locked the office, so there wasn't anything missing or vandalized after the fact. The women of the maids service next door had bought a new security system while he was in the hospital, and also a new metal door replacing the old glass one. None of them had been willing to help Tasean clean up the mess.

"I've been doing as well as one can I suppose" Tasean answered. "The owner of the building is allowing me to stay, but moving me to a floor further up, and has given permission for me to hire my own private security."

Tasean didn't believe the man was necessarily sympathetic to the mutant cause, but enjoyed his money. Mutant money spent just as good as human money, thank the powers that be for small victories.

"I'm just ready to get back to work, and show everyone that I'm not defeated, not yet at least" he said. If another mod attack happened though, Tasean wasn't sure it he would be able to continue with his endeavor.

"Thank heaven for small victories I guess."

It was good to see that Tasean hadn't given up after that fiasco. Apparently he wanted to get right back to it. That made Andrew smile.

"Well I'm here for ya if you want help or just someone to tell someone to shove off."

He hadn't been able to help Tasean out of late and now he wanted to make up for that in any way possible. Whether it was more paperwork sorting or letting someone know when to step off. The extra training from Rhythm was bound to help out in that respect. She'd helped him tighten up his fighting style somewhat since they'd started working together. Though it was somewhat out of necessity considering the bruises he was sporting.

"I'll help out as much as I can."

Andrew was a busy guy now. Work for Sam, greeting at the Mansion, or any number of troubles he managed to get into ate up his time.

Tasean looked at Andrew, looks of confusion and relief warring across his features.

"You actually want to come back and help? After everything that happened?" Tasean asked unbelieving. He could not fathom someone actually being involved in a mob brawl and then voluntarily returning to the scene of the crime to help with an agency that was the cause of the initial attack; and could possibly see more in the future. There had already been more threats since the attack, and Andrew was willingly putting himself right back in the mix. Andrew was a rare breed indeed, and Tasean was counting himself lucky to call the man a friend.

"What kind of man are you and where have you been all my life" Tasean blurted before he realized it. His face, naturally a nice rich brown color turned an almost cherry apple red in embarrassment, something almost impossible for one of his complexion. He starred down at his hands, contemplating the contours or his fingers while planning how to get away from the cafe as quickly as possible.

Andrew fixed Tasean with a confused look. Why would he think that he wouldn't come back?

"Of course. What you're trying to do is important and I like to help my friends. Besides, I've taken worse beatings than that from my own power. Any day I don't get shot, stabbed, shocked, or otherwise injured is a good one in my book. A few bruises in exchange for keeping you safe, something I failed to do I might add, is nothing."

Tasean's follow up question inspired a similar hue to creep onto Andrew's considerably paler face. That had been right out of the blue and as a result Andrew said the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh, First I was in Kentucky and now I'm here in New York."

And good lord had he really just said that? Twenty one years old and Andrew would have thought he'd be better at this by now. Still, he guessed it was nice to know that he could now check Tasean out from time to time and possibly not be hit for it.

Tasean looked up at Andrew for a moment before he began to laugh, a deep laugh that shook his entire body. All of the tension and embarrassment left his body as he laughed at the true, yet funny, answer given.

Slowly the laughing subsided, and Tasean whipped the tears from the corner of his yes. "Good one Kenny Ray" he said, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Tasean began to look at Andrew in a different way. He was definitely still a friend, but there was a possibility of something more now. Andrew did not fly off the handle, or even give a moments look of disgust or disinterest. Tasean had met many men since his tenure in the Big Apple, but his fascination with them had always been purely carnal, and the flame had flickered out within a weeks time. Andrew seemed to be different, there was something oddly appealing to him. Tasean filed the feelings away, for further investigation when he was alone, but gave Andrew a toothy grin with an peculiar gleam in his eyes.

"So...how are things at the Mansion?" he asked to break the silence of his contemplation.

Andrew's embarrassment turned into a matching grin as Tasean began to laugh. Apparently his off the wall comment had worked in some fashion. He didn't dare risk the laughter and returned use of the Kenny Ray nickname by commenting though. Andrew stuck to grinning. Whatever stress had been there seemed to dissipate with that comment and Andrew was grateful. They could not only remain friends but now he knew there was the possibility of some else if he wanted it.

Tasean's question about the mansion startled him out of his reverie and Andrew thought about everything that had happened since he'd last seen him.

"The Mansion is as it's always been. Work's kept me busy but most of the really hectic stuff happened during time off. I attract trouble I guess. Been to the infirmary more than the doctor would like but I'm keeping an eye on a mutant girl who's just as good or better than me at getting into trouble."

Andrew looked around. As nice as the place was he didn't want to get into specifics here. After Tasean, the mall, overhearing and seeing some of what had happened to Agnes, plus the talk with Lori Andrew was trying to be more cautious around humans again. However he didn't want to outright say it so he hoped that Tasean figured out why he was being vague.

Tasean nodded in understanding, leaning back in his chair and pushing it back so that it was balancing on the back two legs, his own legs acting as the front two.

"Can the Agency help out with her? I mean, right now we can't do much, but I do have some resources and connections" Tasean informed his friend.

He didn't know why the girl was getting into trouble, or what particular interest she held for Andrew, but he at least wanted it to be known that he was there to help, if he could.

"I mean with that money from that one place that the pink super power Xena girl Aura gave" Tasean said, before leaning forward in the chair and letting it settle to all four again with a small thump. "By the way, you ever see that girl again?" Tasean asked, memories of the girl derailed his train of thought. He leaned back in his chair once more, looking ponderously at the rolling clouds in the sky. "I wonder what happened to her?"

Andrew gave a shrug.

"I honestly don't know. She's one of those independent types that likes to help but doesn't seem to want help much. Or maybe it's just me she doesn't want help from. I've got no idea where she lives and I only see her when she wants to be seen."

He looked around and then pulled off his left glove to reveal a second promise mark lingering above the first.

"But I've got a pretty good reason to try and keep her safe. Not that it's done me any good."

A wince lingered on Andrew's features as he recalled how it had felt to be shot and tazed without a gun or tazer being anywhere nearby. He could only assume that it was Rhythm's doing but he hadn't been able to pin her down for a talk yet. At Tasean's question about Aura, Andrew gave a nod.

"Yeah actually. No idea how she's doing now but she was fine when I saw her."

Tasean's already dark brown eyes turned a shade of almost coal black when he saw the mark. He knew what it meant and he know what it could cause to Andrew.

"She didn't force you to do that did she" he asked, steel and fire in his voice and eyes.

Andrew's mutation, which caused him to keep promises, or suffer physical harm for not doing so was a double edged sword, one pointed to close to Andrew's heart for Tasean's liking. Andrew had every reason to not want people to know about his ability. Tasean knew that almost every person in the world would take advantage of that., and if this girl was, Tasean would find a way to make her stop.