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As Devon nodded towards the beaches a surge of wonder ran through Max. Beaches were always some of his favorite places. The sea and earth combining and the expanse of clear blue water. It forced you to realize how small you were, for some it was humbling but Max always took a sense of joy in the vastness.

Sorry to get in the heavy stuff on ya. Time to practice. Want to jump off cliffs?”

"No worries man. I needed to talk, you needed to talk. That's what friends are for. Can't hide from the heavy stuff or you'll sink." He said with a laugh thrusting a thumb towards the water.

They parked and Max exited the car, shutting his door behind him. Devon made note of one of the trails.

“We can head up this way. I figured between the two of us we have to do a cliff jump. They aren’t too high here. What do you think?”

A grin spread across Max's face, contagious and defiant.

"Oh yeah. And beat part. I don't even have to climb back up." He replied.

He started towards the trail, glad he was wearing practical sneakers and looked at the forest around them.

"So you come out here often?" He asked.

Max saw a shiver run across Geo as the man spoke.

I like to keep my feet planted firmly in some dirt. That'd be a hard thing to wrap my head around

He acted like Max was dangerous, something Max definitely didn't consider himself. He'd done some harsh things in self defense sure, but the idea of hurting people was like asking a fish to fly for Max.

"Right back at ya. I'd rather not find myself swallowed by ground if I can help it." Max countered.

Geo sank one of Max's balls and the young man let out a little laugh. He usually took the award for most absent minded person on the room, but for once he could see it on someone else. It left him with two balls and the eight ball to win and Max approached the table.

"No big. It happens. I prefer the conversation anyway. You got any long term plans now that your back?" He asked.

He took a shot and sunk another ball leaving him a sole target remaining. He tried to bounce the que ball off the corner but it slid into the pocket instead in a solid scratch. Oh well easy come easy go.

Max nodded as Michael explained his support power and took his outstretched hand. With a small effort of will Max adjusted gravity on the pair of them allowing them to slowly float down to the padded mat below. As they floated down Max flipped to land feet down and gently touched the mat.

Michael complimented Max's ability and Max gave an appreciative nod. He never got used to people being impressed by what he could do.

"I might be a good support class," He said comparing abilities to roleplaying games, "But you're a tank and that's Hella impressive."

"Y' said you had a proposition?"

Straight to business, a respectable position to take. Max nodded.

"You said you've been out of town for a while, have you heard of Haven?" He asked," We are a community betterment organization that works to help those who cannot help themselves. Some of the people are like me, but we have lots of member who are celebrities, politicians, corporate types."

He let the words rest in the air for a moment.

"People who could use security, plus we host tons of events and getting security staff is a pain." He said.

I can probably pretend to be normal for half a second."

Max smiled and took the offered food. He understood Noel wanting to have a normal conversation. As he scooped out pasta and sauce he couldn't help but imagine this kind of thing was as weird for her as it was for him.

but I don't know if you actually enjoyed your time."

Max placed the food back on the table and began stirring the sauce and pasta together on his plate. His stomach gave an appreciative grumble as the smell of the food washed over him.

"I'm always good for pasta. Easy to make and goes a long way so I'd say it's in my top ten food wise," He said smiling' "As for school, well considering I grew up in a place where the mutant population was basically me and Jacob the guy who spontaneously combust it could have been a little more bearable"

It was true that despite the large number of mutants in the world the prep school he had attended had severely lacked x genes. Perhaps it said something to the social standing of the world, or perhaps it was coincidence.

She asked where he learned to cook as he took a fork full of spaghetti and ate it. Noodles were not perfect but it was a decent meal, the sauce more than covered up for it.

"My nanny, Mama J." He said after swollowing.

Even saying her name brought back memories of the elderly, plump, black woman. His parents had been present as much as they could, but that woman had really raised him.

"My parents taught me what they thought was important, social obligation, manners, education," He continued," Mama J taught me practical things, cooking, sewing, how to throw a punch when the bigger kid on the playground takes your toy. I've found myself using more of her lessons then theirs over the course of my adult life "

He let out a little laugh at the thought before returning his attention to Noel.

"What about you? Where are you from?" He asked not wanting the conversation to be all one sided.

Max smirked as Janelle seemingly took the deal. She was guessing at least, which meant she was at least willing to gamble the possibility of going out with him. He silently laughed as he realized they had not set any terms if she won, so he had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

She completed her guess and Max placed a finger to his lip in contemplation.

"Hmmm bit vague," He replied before looking off to the side, "judges?"

He made a noise like a buzzer and smiled at Janelle. He reached out his hand under the can and chuckled slightly.

"Close, but I can get you on the technicality that my power doesn't let me or other things "fly" per say." He said using his hands for air quotes.

He gave a snap of his fingers and the can fell into his open hand.

"Things just fall with style. That's one guess down one to go. What else you got" He said playfully.

Max's ankle gave a shout of protest as he twisted free on the ceiling of the room and bounced a few paces away from Michael. He flipped and landed facing the man as he spoke.

, "Y're leg alright? Didn' expect to fall t' the ceilin' there."

Max gave a smile and lifted his leg, twisting the ankle and working out the tension. It hurt but he'd suffered worse stress performing.

"I'm alright. You adapted to the situation faster than I thought you would. Your good, and damn strong. I'm curious, you seem to get stronger the harder I try to hit you. Are you topped out, or is it a reactionary ability and you're as strong as you need to be?" He asked, taking the moment to satiate the growing curiosity he felt.

The problem he was facing now was the limits of his own ability. He could only maintain his power continuously for three minutes before having to release it. In a fight that seemed like an eternity, but stopping to chat would drain that time away like the Sands of an hourglass slipping away.

But he decided talking was a good idea. Michael was a skilled soldier, and Max was seeing first hand what he could do. Haven was always on the lookout for talent and they could use a good soldier. Hell he'd be worth his weight, which at the moment was considerable, in gold for training alone with his experience.

"You got a job anywhere man?" He asked off handedly in the lull,"once we finish here I might have a proposition for you." He said resuming a fighting stance.

. Max threw some frozen garlic bread into the toaster oven as Noel explained how her power worked. What she had borrowed from him.

Your mom is very pretty."

Max nearly fumbled as he stopped shocked for a moment and nearly dropped the small tray of bread. She sounded sincere in her compliment and the truth of what she was able to see started to dawn on Max. He put the bread in the oven and then picked up the pots of sauce in noodles just in time to see Noel flush a brilliant shade of pink.

"Uhm. I'm gonna go put on some real clothes because suddenly I know that 'pantsing' is a thing."

She scurried off to the bedroom as Max felt his own face burn. He knew what she had seen, you didn't easily forget embarrassing moments in high school. He felt off balance, confused and violated. He was glad for a moment alone as she changed to get himself together.

It was as he placed the pots of pot holders in the middle of the table and began to dish out servings that he found himself looking at a perfectly set table. Fine dining was an aristocratic right of passage akin to rising a bike. Max had been raised in prep schools, taught the things that high society stiffs thought were important. This was one of those things.

He finished making the meal, got the bread and placed it on plates and took a steadying breath. He removed the apron and put his now dry shirt back on, somehow feeling exposed without it, though he had little need for cover now, Noel could know anything she wanted with a thought.

It was a strange and one aides intimacy. He barely knew her, yet there she stood able to make remarks and comments on even the most personal of experiences he had. It was like she was a friend he had known all his life but forgotten. She knew him, but she was a stranger to him.

"But you helped her." He whispered to himself as he took a seat at the table.

It was true. She seemed to be speaking very fluently. The objective had been met. She had warned him that he wouldn't be able to hide anything. It wasn't her fault he hadn't realized juat how deep that well was. At the end of the day he had two options, be freaked out and change nothing, or grow a pair and get over it. She had said she wouldn't remember things she didn't review before sleeping, and he doubted she would want to take the time to shift through two decades worth of experiences for the juicier moments of his life.

They were friends now, no matter how weird the introduction. That meant it was time to act like it.

He counted to ten, easing the tension out of his body as he did and waited for his dinner company to return.