While the world slept Erik found he had entirely too much time to himself. Some nights he spent moonlighting as a masked vigilante, mutation permitting, others he read about whatever particular subject entered his interest. He had spent the previous night on a fire escape overlooking the harbour and staring up at the clear night sky, stuck in his own head. It was usually during those times when he got most caught up in his own head. Now he was approaching Black Forest Tactical with lukewarm feelings. Hopeful for something to look forward to in the coming days and back with some more structure in his life. 

Pulling into a parking spot with his 'creeper' van as Cas would call it and turning off the engine. He paused a moment to check his face in the rear view mirror to gather his thoughts before hopping out. After taking note of how many other cars there were to estimate the number of potential people in the building out of his own professional paranoia. He wasn't sure the whole place wasn't some crazy roadhouse for members of the anti-mutant equivalent of the Aryan nation. A strong part of the reason why he asked for a meeting near the end of the day as well as to give him time to launder his choice of clothing. Some people would walk into a potential interview dressed to the nines, but he felt that was too much like lying. Too much of some other person and not himself. So instead he opted for his nicest gray long sleeve untucked of course and a pair of brand new dark blue jeans. Since normal people thought it was weird to walk around with just a long sleeve on in freezing weather he completed the look with his dark grey wool trench coat. Not the most impressive of outfits he admitted to himself more then once as he agonized over the decision in the previous hours, but one that was most assuredly Erik and he wanted to present himself as being the real version of himself.  Not to mention the calculated thought ot make himself look rugged despite his fresh faced appearance. It wouldn't be the first time he applied to a job only to be turned away because someone thought he simply had a fake ID and was looking for a job to ditch school.

Erik gave himself an extra moment of mental preparation before heading on inside. His eyes slid to the clock on the wall and noted with satisfaction he was five minutes early. After informing someone he was there for an interview he casually unbuttoned his jacked and looked around noting exits.. just in case. 

Hiring. One of the worst parts of running a business is the long and involved process of hiring employees. Depending on the position Ranger will only do the final interview. In general, this is the way it works for the regular security staff. Ranger allows for his managers to manage most of the hiring process for those positions.

When Ranger was handed an application by Jude with the commentary, “please hire him so we immediately fire him.” Ranger decided to conduct the first interview himself. Someone willing to write ‘Badass in training’ as the position they were seeking was worth talking to -- even if it was just for a laugh.

It was nearing the end of the day when Ranger’s phone rang in his office. He hit speaker and the staff at the front informed him that his interview had arrived. Ranger closed his laptop and stood up. He cast a look across the nice wood of his office and the mounted red deer head on the wall before returning to the modern industrial bore that was his office. Sure, his building looked nice -- t was a work of modern art. The building just lacked the character that Ranger’s office had. All glass and metal, no wood or antler. Ranger was smart enough to recognize that in New York not everyone would appreciate his more refined taste so he had all but his office built in a more modern style. It was a shame really.

Ranger made his way down the hall to the lobby. The office was fairly quiet, most staff was either on a job or at home. A skeleton crew necessary to run the office was all that was left. And a couple of the Alpha team members were on site in the shoot house. The odd muffled thump could be heard coming from one side of the building.

The guard posted at the reception desk saw Ranger and pointed him to the kid sitting in a chair waiting.

It wasn’t every day someone showed up to an interview in jeans, a decent shirt, and a trenchcoat. This of course meant Ranger wasn’t underdressed. Ranger was wearing a dark plaid button up with his sleeves rolled up, dark jeans, and black cherry Lucchese boots. This was an interview with a kid not a meeting with a high rolling client.

Ranger walked up to him, ”Howdy, Erik.” Ranger extended his hand to the kid.

”Why don’t y’ follow me back t’ the conference room.” Ranger waved for Erik to follow him.

Down the hall and through a fancy door with no window sat a long wooden table and the walls parallel to the table were lined with guns. Handguns at waist level, rifles above. A large flat screen was mounted on the far wall. Ranger gestured to a chair before taking a seat opposite it. Eriks application sat in front of Ranger on the table.

”Badass in training, huh?”

Erik stood once he saw the secretary signal towards him and was a bot surprised to find the CEO himself conducting his interview. The foot had wedged itself in the door of opportunity. Now he just had to crawl through it with everything he had. 

He returned the handshake in a professional manner, no need for any macho Alpha bullsh*t he figured. "Sounds good." The little walk wasn't interrupted by any talking. Time would be soon enough for that. He slid off his coat and tossed it in the chair next to him before sitting down and getting comfortable. His typical neutral look plastered on his face until he asked about the position he applied for and a tiny smirk slipped through for a bare moment before shrugging a bit.

"I figured it would serve as both an apt description of job title and a way to catch someone's attention. Had to make up for the thin application somehow. Any relevant experience I have that may apply I would rather not have written down." He admitted in his typical honest style. "So how are we going to do this unusual interview? Do you have a list prewritten questions your going to ask or would you rather hear my spiel?" Rarely in his experiences would a CEO deign to mingle with the common plebians. After a brief pause he continued. "Ah or perhaps some friendly waterboarding between new acquaintances?" His face twitched slightly but never broke into a smirk or smile. The last bit might have been pushing it somewhat, but after a week of wasting his time with interviews that didn't go anywhere he couldn't help but feel a bit dejected and want to flip the table on the whole process.  Erik was going to be Erik and if someone had a problem with it he probably wasn't going to be a good fit anyway.

Ranger held a poker face while Erik explained the answer. Truth be told, Ranger didn’t put much stock in resumes. People lie, people exaggerate, people obfuscate. To Ranger a sheet of paper couldn’t give you the measure of a person. It could be useful for knowing where they had worked but it gave no indication of skill, experience, or performance… Save those who listed their military experience by color.

”I normally wait f’r the follow up t’ waterboard new candidates.” Ranger said holding his poker face. ”The Department of Labor has asked I wait until the second interview t’ put candidates through SERE.”

The Department of Labor in New York would likely lose their minds if Ranger put candidates through even a scaled down SERE School. Not the run of the mill instruction SERE School, but the special operations SERE where you are held by an OPFOR intent on breaking you.

”I figure we’ll run it like this. I’ll ask about y’r past. You’ll give me some answers. I’ll wonder how accurate they are. Normal job hire stuff. After that I’ll likely test y’. It’s easy t’ have all the right answers, but any experience y’ claim t’ have that’d be useful is testable.”

Ranger looked at the resume again before balling it up and tossing it at the trash can on the far side of the room.

He missed.

”Tell me about this relevant experience that y’d rather not write down?”

"That long for waterboarding? The Department of Labor must not realise how hard it is to find the true measure of a person in your field of work without it. Of course I won't tell them if you won't." The young man maintained his own poker face, even if he was a hair's breadth away from doing and saying whatever he wanted. The runaround could test even the most saintly of patiences and  his was about burned up. Maybe he would just sneak into a place he wanted to work and leave a pile of dog ''business' on a bag on a hiring manager's desk. 

Still he felt he might have a chance with the texas accented man. It just might take a leap of faith or setting something on fire. Maybe even both if he was lucky.

"You do what you have to do. I find telling the truth is more interesting. Tends to throw people off more than a lie in my experience." Which was probably because so few people ever told the truth these days. 

His eyes followed the useless piece of paper to the floor and looked back to ranger as the important question was asked. After a moment of consideration was taken to gather his thoughts he pushed forwards.

"It is relevant in that I spent most of my experience on the opposite side of what it is you and yours do. In Russia I spent my time.. circumventing security measures. Obtain objects of importance for other people. Sometimes leaving objects. It is impressive how fast someone's attitude changes when they no longer feel safe." Pausing a moment to think of anything else relevant. "I am proficient in both offensive and defensive driving for a variety of shady reasons. Have some experience preventing things from disappearing. Spent time in underground fighting rings for a time and was good at that. No experience with firearms to speak of though. Never needed to use them before." 

Well didn't that paint a wonderful picture Erik. "I feel I should mention that while i did work for the bratva I am not one of them. You can check me for tattoos if you feel the need to verify my truthfulness. I simply did what I had to do at the time." Watching the stoneface man carefully for any reaction and half expecting to get booted out of the office.  

”I find mystery length rucks every day for a week work better. Last day is a 40 miler.” Ranger said remembering his time in selection.

Erik was building himself up a lot, normally when people made comments like his they were trying to make themselves sound more impressive. Erik, however, seemed to speak more matter-of-factly than most people who were trying to blow smoke up your skirt. Ranger sat back and listened.

What Erik told him sounded well and good, but as the adage goes ’trust but verify.’ When Erik was done Ranger pushed a button on the speaker on the conference table before speaking to it in Arabic. Ranger made a guess that Erik did not speak it. A brief reply came back in Arabic.

Ranger turned to Erik and in Russian said, <It sounds like you had a similar experience to me in Russia. Only with less guns.> Then in English he added, ”I learned those same skills from maximum security prisoners. They do the R an’ D on methods an’ I took a course in their criminality. As long as y’ never worked against the United States growin’ up on the darkside is useful t’ this line of work.”

”We’re settin’ up a little test f’r y’. While they set it up why don’ y’ tell me a story from y’r time in Russia?”

Not commenting immediately, Erik thought that was quite the distance and far more then the Roman Legions of old had ever required outside of forced march situation. Most certainly not basic military training either. "That would probably be more... justifiable in regards to private sector screenings."

The cool faced youth's eyes pinched a bit at the sudden change to Arabic. His uncle probably knew some, but Erik was a full dictionary short in that regard aside from the usual choice verbiage reserved for fits of road rage. Either that was a new requirement for some special deployment group or Ranger had arranged to have himself and his team learn it due to simple necessity. 

As the man switched to Russian he shrugged. <Prefer knives.> Listening to the mans commentary before adding his own. "I would find the information learned from people who got caught to be somewhat suspect. And as far as I am aware I never directly impeded the United States in any way." Shrugging a bit noncommittally at the man. It was just as likely of a scenario that he helped in some unknown way as much as it was possible he hindered. Neither would have been intentional.

A test meant an audition and an audition to Erik meant he had a real shot of getting to work with these guys. Then the man had to make it more specific. For what felt like a long moment he thought, opened his mouth briefly before closing it and considering. Finally Erik just shrugged more sincerely. "I hold onto the secrets of my former employers just as I would suspect you would expect of me to do for you. Unless it becomes directly relevant for an operation it is not mine to tell. The skills I gained through them would be at your full disposal however." It was a gamble he was willing to take. His interviewer and potential next boss might not appreciate the complete rerouting of his question unless it was his intention in the first place. Erik sighed a bit inwardly at the natural reaction to double and triple think through the various angles games like this were played on if in fact his boss was even playing one.

Better paranoid then sorry was Erik's motto. If the man wanted to sit quietly in a room with a near stranger while he awaited his men to set up whatever no doubt difficult test the man had in mind, Erik would be happy to oblige.

”I learned their skills, not their tactics. The best lockpicks aren’t necessarily the best at evading the law.” Not to mention the information from the felons was supplemented by previous operators and instructors from the Farm.

Erik did not share any stories from his time in Russia. That made it harder to know what to test harder. Instead of targeting it to prove he could do what he described in his stories the test would have to be broad. A tactical exam. Put Erik in a situation and see how he works his way through it.

”I can respect that.” Ranger said, ”How ‘bout this… Without gettin’ into the details of who, where, when, why, et cetera tell me a laundry list of skills you had to use. The ones y’ feel make y’ stand out. We need somethin’ t’ talk about while I get somethin’ set up f’r y’.”

A unconvinced sound emanated from Erik, but didn't comment further on the credentials of captured convicts. If you got captured your skills weren't worth anything to anyone stuck behind bars. Except in this instance to train fuzz and black ops agents to do their job better. It was all a bit disgusting to Erik in someway. 

The man didn't press for details and immediately went up a few notches for desirability as a boss. He took a moment to listen to Ranger before nodding and was quiet a moment as he thought. After a moment he stood and trailed a hand along the wall near the guns as he walked around to the missed attempt of a paper basket ball and walked back to his seat. His footsteps making no sound despite the practical boots he wore and plopped audibly into the original seat he had taken. As he unwrapped the paperwad, moving to quickly soothe the paper out and retrieved a pen from his jacket and began to draw and finally speak again.

"Bypassing physical and electronic security systems, blending in and not being noticed in general, pickpocketing, non-lethal takedowns, driving fast without crashing, and spatial awareness." Holding up the old crumbled resume a moment before sliding it across to Ranger. A fair, nearly scale blueprint was drawn on the back in pen with various locations of security systems, card readers, cameras, ect that had obviously been scouted out ahead of time by some means or another. Areas he hadn't been to had question marks and fair guesses of what was there and even though he hadn't seen the shoot house he had marked it fairly accurately on the map as well as blind spots. Where the legend would be on a map he listed the models of camera's he had noted and what the main controller of said systems was. At the very bottom was a range of time, no doubt the estimated time to steal something from the most secured portion of the building.

"Suppose professionally paranoid should be added to my list of qualifications. Can't be too careful afterall."

Erik retrieved his discarded resume and took to drawing on it. Ranger listened as he watched Erik mark up the paper. He listed off his skills. All were useful skills for a thief or a spy. They were listed in a casual nonchalonce that lend credibility to themselves. Ranger nodded along. The test he was preparing would show the truth of the claims.

Without even being tested, Erik had caught Ranger’s attention. When the sheet of paper was revealed it was an incredibly accurate blueprint of the building. There were a few incorrect details but for someone who had entered the building for the first time it was mind-blowingly accurate. Ranger scanned over it, finally noticing the estimated time Erik had left on the bottom. Ranger worked his way through how he thought the job of stealing something could be done and tried to process how long he thought it would take

The time Erik left was fast. Incredibly fast, but within the realm of possible.

Ranger looked back to Erik with a raised eyebrow. ”Now... This is what I call a resume.”

The phone rang and Ranger hit the speaker button. A voice said, “It’s ready.” before hanging up. Ranger looked to Erik and said,

”Let’s see how good y’ really are.” Ranger stood up and walked to the door. ”Follow me.”

Ranger led Erik across the building toward the shoot house. On the way he pointed out a few of the rooms that Erik had listed but didn’t know the purpose of. For the most part they were storage rooms or ready rooms of some sort. Erik had guessed most of the secure rooms, including the armories.

The shoot house was a literal house with no siding built into a voluminous space in the building that had an interior closer to an aircraft hanger than an office building. Metal walls with sound absorbing foam formed the exterior of the room. It cut down on the echo while also protecting the rest of the building from any stray rounds.

”We’re gunna search y’ f’r any tools and then lock y’ in one of the second story rooms. THe door is locked with both a physical lock that bolts the door in from both sides t’ the frame an’ an electronic lock. Y’r task is t’ escape that room, retrieve a radio from somewhere in the rest of the house, then escape BlacTac. From there y’ll be instructed on y’r mission by a contact over the radio. Only Sideshow, Lumberjack, an’ myself know this is happenin’. If y’r caught leavin’ it’ll go sideways. If in the course of the tasks someone from BlacTac spots y’ it’ll go sideways. They’ll be tasked with findin’ y’ after y’ step outside an recieve further instructions.”