The Haven (Open to all)

[Andrew Crest]

Andrew Crest walked out of the door to the small diner. He looked up at the stars in the sky as the wind whistled around him. No matter how long he’d lived in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1>New York</st1></st1:state>, Andrew still couldn’t get used to the smell. Even away from the city he could taste the smog in the air. There was just something crisp and fresh in the wind back home that didn’t exist anywhere else.
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Eh, it was probably just in his head, but at least it gave him something to think about. Why the boss had chosen to stick him out here was a mystery? Andrew cracked a grin as he pulled his hat down over his ears and began to walk along. Probably to keep him and Nicole away from each other. At least he still had a shift tonight.
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Not that he didn’t enjoy some time away from The Haven; he’d just rather that he didn’t spend the time alone. His eyes flicked across the street: kids out past curfew, the last of the grocery store wage-slaves leaving heading home, post office locked up tight, bank security guard walking up the steps for the graveyard shift.
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Still everyone seemed busy as heck here. Almost like no one just took the time to chill out, must be the east coast. Naw, probably just the New Yorkers and their rush our lives. Andrew shook his head; some people took life way too seriously.

…like he probably should be doing. Life as a mutant was becoming more dangerous in a world with growing prejudices. Andrew nodded a hello or g’night, which ever, to a passing couple; his eyes lingered for a moment. How would these people react, if they knew Andrew was one of the tabloid’s ‘freaks’?
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Whatever, at least he and Nicole had found a place that accepted them and Nicole after they’d hightailed it out of <st1><st1:state w:st="on">Wisconsin</st1:state></st1>. Hell, he even got his action fix out of it, the crew always had its ‘excurions’ from time to time, one of the reasons he was stuck out here. But the club was always the place to be.
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As he walked by the digital display out in front of the bank it switched to the time: 11:03 pm. The Haven was a unique club, out of the way, almost every one was welcome, the pay…….”OH, CRAP.*”
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A bunch of wierded-out face watched Andrew as took off sprinting towards where he parked the car. “Fuse is gonna kill me.” Too much thinking really was a downfall, the boss wouldn’t appreciate him being late for work. Especially on a Friday night.
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[The Brotherhood]

A very mismatched pair sat at a corner booth in The Haven. On one side, Jason MacIntosh toyed with a portable wireless card in his hands, his eyes focused on something no one else could see, grinning at intervals. On the other, pushing the bench so far back no one could possibly sit in the next booth, Noah Makaha generally hulked, his long, Samoan hair splayed generously across his massive back.

"Fuse wouldn't like to catch you downloadin' porn off her wi-fi, runt."

"She wouldn't catch me. Anyway, chill. I'm just doin' some research."

"Yeah? What kinda research?"

"Researchin' how easy it is to slip past Bank of Manhattan's security software."

Noah gave him a wary look.

"Relax. I'm not doin' anything they'll find. Just keepin' myself sharp. Y'know. Like, workin' out."

The huge Samoan grunted and drained his kahlua in one gulp. "Feels weird bein' back here. I know the Boss told us to keep an eye out, look for recruits... but it feels kinda like spyin'."

Jason's eyes darted back and forth as he negotiated around a wily trojan checker. "Naw, it's not spyin'. We're still, y'know, two of the guys, right? Just now we've got a night job."

"Maybe," Noah rumbled. "But I think Fuse suspects somethin's up. And I don't think she'd like it if she found out."

"Yeah, you worry a lot for a guy who can lift a Volkswagon - uh-oh."

The big mutant straightened. "What's 'uh-oh'?"

Jason had tensed up, and there was a light sheen on his forehead. "Nothin'... I got it under control, just give me a minute."

[Andrew Crest]

“Aw, come on homes. I thought this place was an under eighteen joint.” At the front doors to the club a line of people moved around two figures in the middle of an argument; A one sided argument at that. The short, tan-skinned kid with the khakis at half-mast was completely dwarfed by the huge guy in the muscle shirt.
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“Only with people that we like, kid.” It was just one of those nights again, damn kids on the boss’s stay-the-hell-out-of-my-place list trying to sneak his way back in. And Kevin Carver was the one stuck with the problem, as usual. At least he’d been able to drag the kid out of the line. “I threw you out of here last week now beat it.”
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The line of customers turned amused glances to the pair as the Haven’s second bouncer, Jasper, checked them through. It wasn’t really so much an ID check as making sure to troublemakers and idiots stayed out.
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“Man, I ain’t never been here, check my card already.” The kid had been shoving the faked student card in his face for the last ten minutes and Tiny was getting p-oed by the second.
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“Look, if you’re not gone in…”
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*SCCRRREEEEEEEECCHHHHHH*
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Move it, outa my way!” Heads turned to the parking lot and several people’s voices raised in alarm. Kevin nearly laughed as Andrew shoved his way through the line. The young man ground to a halt in front of the doors and bent over panting.
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“Why….in God’s name….is the….employee parking…..at the back…of the lot…?”
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A good two dozen confused eyes stared at Andrew as he caught his breath. Jasper, in the middle of letting a younger pair into the club, grinned at the tired mutant. “Hey Andy, weren’t you supposed to be here an hour ago?”
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“Shut it.” Andrew quickly gathered his breath and hurried through the doors.
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Jasper watched him go and shook his head. He turned to his fellow bouncer. “Twenty bucks says Nicole reams his through before Fuse does.”
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Tiny just laughed. “You’re on……where the HELL do you think you’re going?”
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“Come on, dude”

[Dusk]

A pair of brown eyes watched, amused at the ongoings. Sam's first trip to an American club and things were starting out eventful. Taking the last drag from his cigarette, he let it drop to the floor, pressing his foot down on it and crushing the ash into the ground whilst exhaling a puff of smoke.

The Brit fumbled in his pockets for his ID card, something the institute had
given to him. He still wasn't sure if he liked the fact it had "Dr Cullen's School for the Gifted" stamped across it, but still, it allowed him into places like this without question of his age. It seemed the academy didn't really like the students leaving the grounds much, especially at night. They had their own on-campus entertainment and the like, but nothing compared to real nightlife. Sam's "abilities" had allowed him to slip out through the darkest areas of the ground and leave unnoticed.

Just as he approached the entrance, the bouncers left their posts and disappeared inside. With a shrug, Sam gave up looking for his ID and followed them inside.