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Viewing the world by heat was an interesting experience. He could make out things like faces well enough, but unless there was enough contrast to affect heat absorption he couldn't read anything. All glass and water also became mirrors.

Were Elliott not so unique looking he would still be able to loosely recognize him. As it was, his antennae would make him stand way out in heat vision world.

As the Ranger scanned the subway car Elliot said that he was worried about the control room and the engines."The axles have electric motors. He'd have t' set it under the floor." Just in case he avoided saying bomb. "Setting up by the conductor or where it could tip the cars as we pass another in the tunnel. Maximize damage."

His vision was sensitive enough he could see where people had recently touched. Not so helpful at the moment with people everywhere touching everything. If a panel had been removed though, somewhere that there were less people, he'd notice.

"I'll check the control room." And he set off. Slowly, casually, making his way through the car on his way to the front of the train.

Noel may have won the war of words, but the Ranger had used her as a barbell. So there was that. You know, the little victories. And he was rewarded with a laugh. He smiled.

“You can't just hulk your way out of this one, buddy.”

"I think I..." The Ranger was cut off. Noel had poured her water not just into the back of his pants, but straight down his crack. In his surprise he dropped Noel, he caught her again before she hit the couch in the crooks of his arm. He then deposited her onto the couch.

Noel deposited he felt at the back of his pants. Yup completely wet. He looked at Noel. "This is y'r fault." He unzipped his soaked pants and yanked them off. Now wearing nothing but his underwear he took a page out of her book and threw his pants at her head.

He hadn’t realized it until Noel was poking him in the face, but had mentally drifted back to that night in North Korea. He snapped back to reality.

“Don’t. Whatever that is, don’t.”

She was looking up at him now. And he noticed that she was much more relaxed. The now was infinitely more better than what he was remembering. Though, not much was better than relaxing with a good looking woman resting against you.

Looking away Noel added, “Learn lessons from the mistakes you carry, but don’t self-flagellate. Otherwise I may have to come over there.”

”I try t’ keep the worst in the past.” Sometimes easier said than done. ”Not all’re mistakes though. Hard decisions mostly.” He shook his head slightly banishing the thoughts before leaning it against Noel’s on his shoulder.

Otherwise she may have to come over here? Did she mean poke him in the face again? She was already up against him. ”I’ll keep it in mind though. Keep y’ where y’ are.”

In response he received a single, "Yes." The Ranger let that hang in the air, and after setting down her food Noel continued. She had his undivided attention as she spoke.

She told a story of an interaction with a newer officer. Something stupid led to the officer arriving. She'd chosen not to kill the officer. The Ranger had killed his fair share of people, but he'd never taken out someone in blue. Well, not at home. It seemed too far. It was good that she didn't.

Noel continued beyond the arrest.

The Ranger knew she could erase memories, but her taking them was new to him. Her claiming to be able to do that and having worked with other psychics brought back some of the apprehension he had when she'd first told him about her erasing memories. He knew the Government must have at some point, and probably still was somewhere, involved with using psychics to get work done. He'd just rather they stayed far away.

The Ranger pushed all that away for now. He could puzzle out how he felt about the Government working with psychics another time. Besides, Noel had left that unit.

She finished the story. Shot during a car chase, the shot probably keeping her out of the clutches of some black unit in the Government.

It was rather a lot to take in at once. Her arrest, working for the Government to steal secrets and make the original owner of the secret forget it, and a shot that likely protected you from the group she'd worked for.

The Ranger was lost for words. What do you say to all of that? "It's in the past," or, "It'll be alright," all seem canned and hollow.

Instead of trying to say something, when there was honestly nothing that could be said that would do justice to what Noel had just dropped, the Ranger gently put a hand on her shoulder.

Different people in this kind of situation react differently. Some want to be held, some want to push everyone away. A lot of people were somewhere between. The Ranger opted to provide a comforting touch and would adapt to how Noel responded. He could remove his hand if she bristled or slide his hand to her other shoulder to pull her into a comforting hug.

Well, side hug, they're on a couch.

She liked spicy food. He knew he liked her.

The Ranger finished wrapping his ankle and leaned back. It didn't hurt like it did before even though the numbness from the ice had worn off. He kept his foot up on the table, but off on the edge. Noel brought him a glass of tea and some lunch.

Then she was back with her own lunch asking how his foot was. And on the couch stealing some of his covers. He was just fine with that. She was still putting out a little bit of heat from her shower in spire of a couple minutes pantsless.

"It was touch an' go, but It'll make it. Y're off the hook f'r stitches this time." He announced before taking a bite of his lunch.

"Oh, hey. We're practically twins now."

Looking over from his food, the Ranger saw Noel working up his... her? The shirt she was wearing. And there was a doosey of a scar. He set his food down and moved his head a little closer to look.

"I mean, it's no sword slice sewn up on the field."

Defiantly wasn't a sword, "That's quite the scar. You were shot?" Small on the back, larger on the front. Front was the exit wound, based the entrance he'd guess .35 caliber. Something like 9mm, .380, .357m or .38. The exit wound narrowed it down. much larger, likely made by something just shy of an inch. Only one thing did that consistently. He looked up at her face, "NYPD?" Standard issue CCI Speer Gold Dot 124gr 9mm+p. .355" diameter that expands to .900" and can travel up to seventeen inches through tissue.

Not a lot of thugs carried Gold Dot and concealed carry licenses were extremely rare in this city.

The sound of the shower stopped as the Ranger opened the box he was searching for. Medical supplies. The usual first aid items as well large bottles of antibiotics, bags of saline, and anything anything a medic might have save morphine. He had to pile stuff out to dig down for a compression wrap.

While he was digging Noel came out and asked if he had anything easy to make to eat. He hadn’t thought about it before when she threw clothes in the washer, but she didn’t have any other clothes with her. He only thought about it now because she was there wearing his clothes. He had offered to let her shower while not having access to her room and thus her own clothes. ”There’s leftovers y’ can heat up or I’ve got some pre-prepared meals in the fridge.”

There was some food left over from an Iranian place in the fridge. Lamb. There was also a few plastic containers that had meals ready to go in them. You don’t stay in the kind of shape the Ranger is in without some attention to what you eat. A couple had pork, a couple had chicken, and one had round steak. Along with the meat there was some green vegetable like spinach, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli and either red potato or rice. The meals were already cooked, just microwave and eat. They were portioned for the Ranger who had a high Calorie requirement each day.

There was also beer in the fridge. You can’t not have beer in the fridge. And a pitcher of tea, like beer you had to have tea.

The compression wrap revealed itself. Of course, it was in a corner at the bottom of the box. Taking hold of it he hobbled back to the couch. He could deal with the stuff he pulled out later. At the couch he set to trying to wrap his own ankle.

A childish part of the Ranger noticed something that he couldn't help but point out, "Didn't take y' long t' get into my pants."

Noel protested while picking up his wet clothes. Correction, Noel trailed off in her protest. The Ranger noticed she was staring at his scar. Finally she spoke. And poked an icicle she disguised as a finger at the scar.

“The way you got hurt last time was far less lame.”

It certainly was much less lame. Coming away from a fight with three ninja with only a single cut was quite the feat. He had let one of the ninja make the cut so he could exploit the opening on the ninja it would leave. One slice or dead, not a hard call.

The Ranger sat up a little. Was Noel remembering? She could have just been remembering what he had said to her earlier, but her demeanor had seemed to change. Like she was working through it in her head.

”Yup.” He agreed. Keeping it short to not disturb her as she seemed absorbed in her thoughts while dumping his pockets. He did pull the blanket over him some. Sitting there shirtless and wet was a bit chilly.

She read his name from his ID. Which made him realize, he only knew her first name. Now wasn’t the time to interrupt for that, he could ask later. She then said his call-sign, which nothing in his wallet said. Nor had he told her that today since catching up to her in the park. She was remembering some. He shifted the ice pack.

“I’ll hang this stuff up”

”Jus’ throw ‘em on the washer.” Easier than finding a hanger and that way they wouldn’t be dripping on the floor. "Less of a hassle."

He shifted the ice pack again. His ankle was nice and numb. While still oversized it at least didn’t hurt anymore. He’d need to wrap it soon. Where did he stick that box of medical supplies?