Hope swelled at the mention of the boss. Maybe she would get a job after all. The boss had stopped by and Noel didn't get sent home immediately after. The boss lady even had known her name… which left Noel wondering if they had met before.

And then the man had to go and ask a question she wasn't even sure about herself. Crap.

"Terminated, sir."

It wasn't that she didn't know that she had been let go, but she didn't know why and that was bound to be the next question. Noel didn't want to come out and admit memory problems, but if she was going to have a real chance at a real job it would come out eventually. Only… maybe she should get the job first. Prove she could do whatever without relying on keeping facts in her head.

"I didn't exactly get a letter of severance, just one day I went in to the office and the whole operation had moved. Or shut down. I could take you to the spot if you want to see." She had returned a couple times herself, just to be sure it wasn't something she had made up in her head.

Noel shifted in her chair. The truth tasted sweet in her mouth, like cherries. That didn't exactly make it any easier, knowing that she was omitting the fact that they had told her where to go next and that had landed her in an insane asylum. Somehow, admitting to busting out of a crazy house in the last month didn't seem like a highlight of her already scant verbal resume. And she needed a job. A little involuntary shake of the eyes had her taking an extended blink to try and keep herself relaxed.

"Like I said, I'm willing to do anything that's worth getting paid for and won't cross common decency." Did that sound too desperate? Probably. But the current job market sucked. Especially for the illiterate. She opened her eyes and tried to examine the effect her words had on him.

Terminated? That wasn't what Paul had been expecting to hear the a flicker of obvious surprise flashed through his expressions. As the young lady went on to give her explanation his eyes narrowed ever so slightly in concentration and focus. Moved or shut down? That would be practically impossible for a government entity. There were always paper trails and official documentation showing what had happened. Unless of course this had been some sort of organization that was only pretending to be a government entity. Was that even possible?

"Which government organization were you employed by?" Paul asked conversation as he grabbed up a pen to take notes, "We always like to double check references. And we'll also want to evaluate your skill with weapons."

Looking at the woman, Paul could see at least a touch of anxiety. Miss Gage really, really wanted this job and it was starting to come across in her expression and speech. "Really, all this checking is just a formality. Miss Faust is already familiar with your skill set and was quite eager to take you in employment. We were looking at having you as part of the security detail at a pharmaceutical research facility. It would play to your obvious strengths while also allowing you the chance to get to know the rest of your fellow 'genetic defects' and 'muties', such as myself." He spoke calmly and politely though the end of his statement added the slightest hint of teasing as well as a noticeable sparkle in his eyes.

Standing back up to his feet, Paul extended a hand toward the other woman. "Welcome to the team Noel." He said with the most honest warmth he could manage. Obviously he couldn't trust her completely because of what Lori had told him earlier but at the same time a part of him was happy that she had come here. She was a fellow mutant and until she proved herself to be a traitor he was willing to give her at least some benefit of the doubt.

"RUPERT. It... wasn't well known. Secrecy was their main priority which is why they had me."

And that was the best news she heard all day. She grinned wide enough that her scar tugged her smile lopsided. Noel stood when the man did. "Somebody told me those weren't nice words." She shook his hand with a fierce happiness.

"Shooting range?" Noel would follow where he led. Pretty much anywhere at this point. He promised her a pay check at a facility that seemed reputable enough. Pharmaceuticals helped people. Noel wanted to help people again.

The two of them went back out to the secretary and then followed her to a large open and empty room that looked rather piecemeal.

"What kind of simulation do you need?" The secretary typed at a console at the wall. What. The. Heck? Noel tried to reserve her judgement until she figured out what was going on exactly.

RUPERT... it wasn't a name that he recognized but it also wasn't one that he would soon forget. He might not have the same connections that Lori had available but he knew a few things that she might not. Maybe if he slipped some money to a couple of attorneys to start examining government files for any mention of RUPERT. It would have to be there somewhere especially since the Freedom of Information Act had taken place. After all, a defunct program could no longer be a matter of national security now could it.

"Something like that." Paul responded with a smile to Noel's inquiry. Turning he led the way out of the room and back out front where Lisa seemed to be expecting them. Apparently Lori had briefed them because without a word she led them down the hall to a large open and empty room that looked like it had been put together from scraps and spare parts.

"Uh... how about an action shooting range with reactive targets? We'll need a variety of common 9mm pistols to work with as well as couple .38 caliber revolvers." Paul requested after a brief pause. With an action shooting range he and Noel would be able to range the course, waiting for targets to spring out. Those targets would then fall if hit or remain visible if not hit. It was standard training for military and law enforcement personnel so it would be the perfect way for Paul to evaluate Noel's skills. If she was government trained, this would prove it. "I don't get to shoot to often so I figured I'd join you on the course." Paul commented to Noel as he turned back to face her.

Within just a few moments Lisa had the information entered into the system and the piecemeal room around them disappeared. Instead they now found themselves standing in a vacant hallway with numerous doors and hallways branches off of it as it progressed away from them. Right next to where they were standing was a table with two or three .38 revolvers as well as well as most of the well known and common 9mm pistols. Glock, Ruger, Taurus, and several others were all present and accounted for. Glancing over the revolvers, Paul tentatively reached out and picked up the one revolver that was a Smith & Wesson. While it was definitely not a Model 10 like what he had fired back in the French army, it was still made by the same company and there were a few similarities but a whole lot of differences. "Bodyguard... interesting name." He murmured to himself as he lifted the weapon and sighted down it, being careful to make sure that it wasn't pointed in either Noel or Lisa's direction.

"This should work fine for us Lisa. Do I need to do anything to shut it down when we're done?" Paul asked when he turned back to the secretary. After providing him with basic instructions the secretary slipped out, probably to return to her desk out front.

"Ready to show what you can do?" Paul asked with a grin as he slipped on some range glasses and a pair of ear protectors. Even though it was just a simulation following basic safety protocol was just a force of habit for him.

*****************************************

OOC: Feel free to start down the course. Basically they'll be performing a two man/woman sweep down the hall.

All the rust and crud melted away into a standard looking hallway. Tile floors, 8 foot ceilings and a row of doors on either side. She had been here a hundred million times. Only, here wasn't here only moments ago.

Nobody else seemed to be freaking out enough.

So she tried not to. Honest. But he started picking things up.

"Are you a teleporter?" Did they just get teleported somewhere else? The woman at the wall was asking if they needed anything else. When the man she addressed as Mr. McCoy told her no, the secretary opened a door that led out to the hall they had just crossed to get into the junk room. But this wasn't the junk room anymore.

"Is this… real?" The way that the overhead lights reflected off the guns… it looked real. Noel hesitated by a Browning High Power, but settled on a matte black Taurus instead. It even felt real and familiar. The weight, the clip she popped out and checked, the slide…

Right. This was no time to be gawking at petty parlor tricks. If this was a simulation, this was a simulation. She just hoped her brain wasn't powering some evil race of over-machines. And if this was her test, that meant she took point. Fabulous.

Noel checked the safety and adopted a two-handed stance with the muzzle pointing up for the time being. Her heart chugged into gear as they approached the first door.

"Ready?" She confirmed that he was before she opened the door on a chaotic scene. It looked like an office, but individual desks were overturned and little cardboard cutouts were popping up every which way.

Only one of them held a submachine gun, though.

Noel popped three off in his chest so close together that they only made one large hole. when everything stopped, it was clear that one of those shots went through an innocent cutout's shoulder that had been whizzing at a frenetic pace. Okay. That was definitely a warm up room and it was clear to her that she hadn't touched a real gun (or however real this was) in a few months.

The next room was larger and required that Noel lead Mr. McCoy into the room. He either knew standard hand gestures or had been trained some himself. Either way, Noel tried not to let her nerves have their way with her. She hated these kinds of tests where people would pop out and you had only moments to decide if it was a mother holding a baby or a sick-o strangling one. For some reason it was a lot less scary in real life with real people.

Almost nothing surprised Paul anymore. He had lived a long life already and he had read about the theory of projected simulations in some science magazine. He hadn't known that it was physically possible until Lisa turned on the machine but it made sense that if anyone had access to that sort of technology then it would be the Sanctuary.

"No teleporting and this is as real as projected light can be." Paul said slowly, as he griped the pistol in his hand that felt so real but yet he knew wasn't. It was a strange feeling even for a man of his experience but he was quickly shaking it off. A projected simulation was something to simply be accepted not necessarily understood. Let the great scientists and such understand it all he had to do was enjoy it.

"Ready?"

"When you are." Paul responded as he quickly slipped one revolver speed reloader in his pocket and then gripped his revolver in a two handed grip. Knowing that he only had five shots before needing to reload to Noel's much more substantial 15 or 17 really forced him to take a back seat even if he had wanted to lead the charge. Not being familiar with that particular weapon she had chosen he couldn't be completely sure about her clip but he knew it was more than his revolver. There would be no double tapping for him. His motto was the same one that had become famous with snipers. 'One shot, One Kill'

The warm up room was self evident and the young woman's response time was impressive. Three shots to the chest guaranteed that the intruder was dead. The fact that an innocent had been shot through the shoulder was acceptable. It wasn't a life threatening wound and the person would have survived the encounter, though perhaps with limited motion to that arm. "Not bad." Paul commented as the exited that room and moved toward the next one. After pausing briefly in the doorway the entered with Noel sweeping right and Paul sweeping left. With a similar set up as the last room, they found over turned office furniture, several cutouts of innocents, and a couple of enemy combatants. The most interesting ones were split between sides of the room. Cutouts holding some sort of automatic weapons were shielded behind innocents that they were obviously using as hostage shields. Someone that was extremely skilled might have immediately gone for a head shot but Paul knew he wasn't that good, especially since it had been years since he handled a revolver. Instead he placed one shot through the Innocent's upper arm into the chest of the criminal behind them. Once again, the damage to the innocent was acceptable because they could survive while the enemy wouldn't. Turning he placed one more shot into the last target on his side that was standing right out in the open and then turned to see how Miss Gage was doing. So far, her skills were matching up to her earlier statements.

Noel did not envy his revolver. Her smaller 9 millimeter may not pack the same punch, but it also didn't punch back. Mr. McCoy's gun looked like it kicked worse than a mule and reloaded about as smoothly.

PA-PA-PA!

She took her shots in threes usually at the chest of an assailant. She didn't quite trust her aim with the ones that took cover behind innocents either, but after shooting through one and feeling guilty, Noel decided to try for a headshot. He said she had the job, but she wanted to cement her position.

The ex-agent expelled every bit of breath from her body, used both hands on the weapon and let the rest fall away. She would not be doing this if it were a real scenario. Her eyes would have been wiggling overtime, instead.

PLAM!

The last cutout stopped moving. The space between its right eye and right ear sported a smallish hole. "Skulls are different from this. In real life, that might have ricocheted."

Automatically she hit the safety on her gun. The threat was over, safety first.

"Do you need to test anything else?" Sparring maybe? Or containment holds? She wasn't sure what exactly she had in that kind of area, but she had been trained hand-to-hand. The guys at the gym told her as much whenever she threw a punch.

He had managed to pull off some good shots but Paul was still not completely comfortable with the revolver. He had gotten pretty decent while in the military but it had been so many years ago that the skills felt slow to come back. Sure, if he took a few hours at the range he could probably get things ironed back out but that really held no interest for him. He wasn't in security, wasn't a bodyguard, and couldn't die. Why in the world did he need to carry a gun?

"So tell me, if that had been a real situation what would you have done instead of going for the head shot?" Paul asked with a slightly raised eyebrow as he looked over at the other shooter. "No need to show me... just talk to me about your tactics."

Paul thought it was a good question and he was looking forward to the answer. Was Noel the type that was willing to shoot through an innocent if necessary or was she programmed to protect the innocent at all costs? Would she take the shot or try to perform some miracle with her ability? In a security roll it was highly unlikely she would experience this sort of thing but Paul was still curious. What made this woman tick?

"Actually I think you've shown me enough for the day. Your skills are right in line with the job we want to offer you." Paul replied after a moment's consideration, "You'll start with a probationary period of 90 days to make sure you can mesh with the rest of the team but I don't think that'll be a problem. I'll be keeping an eye on things so if you have any problems, issues, or questions, feel free to contact me." Reaching into his back pocket, Paul pulled out a very thin wallet that only held a driver's license, one credit card, and some plain looking business cards that had a phone number but no name. After pulling out a card and offering it to Noel, Paul slipped his wallet back into his pocket.

Leading the way out of the room, Paul walked back to the table where the guns were and returned his revolver to its place. After Noel had followed suit with her own weapon he punched a few buttons on the walls and in a split second the old piece-meal room had returned.

"Want to grab some pizza?" Paul asked with a smile as he walked over and opened the door back out into the hall way, "You can lie about your child hood while I lie about mine just like any other normal adults."

What would Noel have done? "I would have made him forget why he was there or why he wanted to shoot anyone." Simple as that. Noel's ability was not limited to defensive memory removal. She just tried not to wipe things clean that would be hard for her to re-learn.
 
"Depending on backup, I could have made him forget how to use his arms or better yet, forget how to use a gun or what a gun is."  At this point, she had forgotten and re-learned guns and shooting so often that it was more a motor memory than an actual thought to aim and pull a trigger. She still had to practice, still had to re-learn. It just never took as long as it did the first time. Like riding a bicycle, as the saying goes.
 
Noel shrugged. "Barring those options, killing doesn't bring an awful lot of justice. I might have shot out his feet or kneecaps if that was a clearer shot and I didn't think he was squeezing too hard on the trigger." 
 
The gun, she lamented having to leave behind. The business card, she stuffed into her empty pocket without so much as looking at it. Someone at the gym would help her get the information into her pay-as-you-go phone. And as for pizza… She cleared her throat and became interested in a spot of rust on the wall. "Unless you front me a paycheck or something I'll have to take a rain check, sir." Noel shoved her hands into her pockets. They were empty except for the card he had given her. She didn't even own a wallet at the moment. Not one that she remembered anyway.
 
Before they made it past the entryway, Lisa had a stack of papers ready for Noel to sign. W-2's, she called them. "You can read through them, make sure it's all in order." 
 
The ex-agent smiled and hoped that spoke of trust instead of the fact that she was covering. "I'm sure you've got it right. Where do I sign again?"
 
Here. Here. And initial here.
 
Oh God. She hoped it really was all in order and that she wasn't signing her left kidney away or something. Noel made scribbles on all the places Lisa wanted her to. Yep. Now that that was squared away Lisa handed Noel a packet of papers. Horrible pamphlets with lots of words on them. They had a couple photos too at least.
 
"You start at the beginning of next week. They'll get you a uniform when you get there. The address of Faust Pharmaceuticals and the name of your supervisor are in the information packet. Are you two… going for lunch?" The secretary asked in the most cordial way, but there was something in her tone that made Noel want to defend her honor as a lady. 
 
"Isn't dating usually against company policy or something?" Her tone was dry. She was trying to ask without insulting Mr. McCoy or closing any doors.

Apparently Miss Gage had a very firm grasp on her power and just as much control. It made Paul very glad that she was now going to be an employee while also making him ever so slightly jealous. Sure his own ability was great but the fact that he couldn't activate it on a whim or do anything other than simply reviving from death's door was mildly annoying. He couldn't activate his power in order to heal his hurts extra fast and he couldn't keep the ability from working the one time he had truly wanted to die. His was a mixed blessing and curse while Miss Gage seemed to have hers all in order.

"Impressive list of options." Paul commented impassively, "Apparently you've been through that situation before." It was a statement, not a question, and he wasn't really looking for any explanation. She had worked for the government, chased down mutants, and apparently used her powers against those same mutants. The big issue that Paul could already see on the horizon was what might happen if Noel were to meet up with one of those mutants she had tracked down. If they were back on the street and she met them again...

Lost in thought about the ramifications, Paul almost missed Noel's comment about having to front her a paycheck. She didn't have any money? Didn't government types get some sort of pensions or severance pay when they were let go? How in the world was she going through the world flat broke? Before he could say anything they were back in front of Lisa and the woman was moving about with her usual proficiency. Signatures on W-2s, papers about the company, employee policies, rules, regulations... the normal stuff.

"Are you two... going for lunch?"

"Isn't dating usually against company policy or something?"

Suddenly, Paul found himself beneath the gaze of two woman that almost seemed as though they were accusing him of something. Had he done something wrong? Last time he had checked simply going out to grab a bite wasn't a date but maybe he was wrong. "Note to self... read Faust Pharmaceutical rules and regs." He thought to himself.

"I'm not sure on whether that's covered in the company policy or not, but I do know that me taking you to lunch is not a date. We just met each other and as a good supervisor I'm simply trying to get to know you better." Paul responded with more confidence that he really felt, "However Lisa, if you know of an appointment I'm going to miss or if you have plans already Miss Gage, then we shall have to put that idea off until some other time."

There, now he had put it firmly in their hands. If Lisa knew of some reason why he shouldn't take Noel out for pizza then she could easily make up something about an appointment. If Noel didn't want to go she could simply lie and say that she did already have plans. It was in their court which left Paul feeling quite happy about his situation. He was no longer the one holding the bag, they were.

"By all means…" Lisa waved her hand toward the door. "Don't let me stop you. Oh and Noel?" The ex-agent stopped short of the door. "Technically you and Mr. McCoy will be employed by different companies."
 
Well wasn't that just convenient. Noel tried to keep the most bland expression on her face. That wasn't why Noel had asked… that secretary was twisting things around so it sounded like Noel was interested in Mr. McCoy when in truth, they had just met. Even Mr. McCoy had said as much.
 
Once the pair had made it a few paces away from the door, Noel couldn't help herself. "I don't like her. She gets twisty with her words." The brunette sounded more confused than anything else. Usually she had a healthy respect for people that could skirt the truth, but Lisa… Lisa was on a whole other level.
 
Her information packet, she tucked under her arm before stuffing her hands in her pockets. Noel had no idea where they might be going, but she was along for the ride.
 
"Are you really going to lie to me? About your past?" He had said that, hadn't he? That they were supposed to lie to each other? She assumed he was joking, but it was a good way to get the ball rolling in safe territory.

Employed by different companies? That was obvious, though not necessarily to Noel, since Paul was not technically employed by anyone other than himself. He had signed no paper work, received no special ID badges, and received no special privileges. For now the Sanctuary was simply some place he could go to relax on occasion. Perhaps in the future he might actually be one of Lori's employees but for the moment he wasn't. At least not on paper.

"I think she enjoys making people feel uncomfortable." Paul observed as they walked down the steps to the sidewalk and began to make their way down the street, "The only person she really shows any respect is Ms. Faust. Beyond that I think she uses verbal barbs to show her authority over others." It was an interesting though and now that he had vocalized it he found himself wondering if were actually true. From what he had seen Lisa was an absolutely wonderful secretary but could it be that she felt that she had to prove she was better than others? Maybe she was completely human and felt the need to show that she was just as good, if not better, than the mutants she met on a day to day basis.

"Are you really going to lie to me?"

"It wouldn't do any good now would it?" Paul responded with a quiet chuckle, "Since you can tell when someone is lieing that in itself makes lieing a waste of time."

It was still an interesting ability though it probably had the down side of making friendships and relationships very difficult. How often did most friends tell each other a fib? How often did most lovers tell a little white lie in order to keep from hurting their partner? Suddenly in that brief moment Paul began to realize that maybe Noel's ability wasn't that much better than his own. At least he could still have somewhat normal relationships. But for her... was that even possible?

"Have you been to Ray's Pizzeria before? The name is iconic and used by lots of restaurants but they all have one things in common... they make a great pizza pie." Paul said with a smile as he waved down one of the few cabs that dared work anywhere near the Sanctuary, "So how do you know when someone is lieing? Is it just a feeling or is there some sort of physical manifestation?"

"I might have been there. Don't remember." Noel slid into the seat next to Mr. McCoy in the taxi and felt considerably better about her dislike of Lisa. Though, to be honest (and she usually tried to be), Noel didn't often make friends. She especially didn't make a habit of hanging out with liars.
 
"Taste." She answered his question once they were on their way. "I was worried about you lying to me over lunch because it would ruin the flavor. Most of the time in public, i just get this overall bad taste in my mouth. Lots of little lies going around. A Diet Coke'll clear that right up, though." Strong flavors, especially strong and sweet flavors, were distracting enough to help Noel sit through a crowded room.
 
She would want to mark this spot on her map to let herself know that she had been there, but the brunette didn't want to pull the map out in front of… whoever this guy was. 
 
"Why are you conducting interviews for a company that you don't work for?"
 
When the cab rolled to a stop, she didn't recognize a thing. Maybe a call to Lucas after lunch would help her get on the right train…

"Taste?" Paul asked in obvious surprise. He had never considered that as a possible side effect of her ability. He had already figured out that being able to detect lies might not be the best thing in the world but the idea that lies could actually spoil a good meal. "That's unconscionable." Inwardly Paul was already vowing to tell no lies at their meal unless absolutely necessary. The young woman deserved to at least enjoy an occasional meal.

"Ms. Faust is the head of Faust Pharmaceuticals and though I am not an employee of the pharmaceutical company I am an assistant to Ms. Faust. I'm kind of an all purpose fill in since my life experience is quite varied." Paul went on to explain. It was as truthful an explanation as he could offer since he didn't completely understand why Lori had asked him to interview the young woman. "Your abilities have their place but my ability allows me to live longer than most."

Falling quiet, Paul didn't bother to explain further. He figured if she had questions then she would ask them otherwise they would simply wait to get to the restaurant and enjoy pizza and a soda like friends.

"And how old are you?" It did not occur to her that this might be a rude question. Mr. McCoy had been the one to hint that he was older than he seemed. He had practically planted the question for her.

When the cab stopped, she was the first out. Noel held the door for him and shut if after him. If he was paying, the least she could do was be civil.

"Is Miss Faust nice?" As her gopher, he ought to know what her new boss was like first hand. Even if the woman wasn't going to be her direct boss, she was somebody high up enough to affect the climate of the company.

He opened the door for Noel and the two of them were assaulted with the din of a busy New York restaurant that had just passed its peak serving hour. It was so loud that Noel didn't think they would get much talking done here. The hostess shouted something at them. Probably asking how many were in their party. She held up two fingers instead of trying to shout for herself.

The hostess' ponytail bobbed cheerily from the back of her baseball cap. The three of them scooted through the crowd of people to a two seater booth on the back wall of the restaurant. The girl deposited their menus, assuming that they would sit and disappeared into the fray. Noel could see that people were leaving, or their plates were mostly clean and they would be leaving soon.

"The food must be good." She had to lean in close and shout after they had both taken a seat, but Noel was pretty sure he heard her. The ex-agent picked up her menu and looked at the pictures. "Is this a share kind of place or a by-the slice kind?"