The director smiled confidently as she watched Bob take down the two agents and she almost scoffed when Ericssen asked if it was allowed. The reason why attacking the agents in the assault course wasn't considered cheating was because no one had thought it would even be possible. Those were not random agents but seasoned field agents that had earned at least five abilities thanks to their experiences in other worlds.
"All of you applied for this position without knowing what it was about. We made sure to leak the availability of a new position and the salary that comes with it to motivate everyone to participate in this challenge, but it's actually not up to me to decide." The director spoke to the ones who passed the test before Bob finished the course.
"So, Bob is the one choosing." Thompson nodded knowingly.
"You guessed it." The director shrugged.
"Then what are we doing here?" Ericssen asked already sensing his chances were almost zero.
"Well, there certainly are physical minimum requirements and this test allowed us to separate the wheat from the chaff."
"With all due respect, ma'am. He may have passed the agents, but he's breathless now. Based in my experience in the field, he won't survive in the field for a week." Ericssen's words made the director laugh.
"I may need to clarify a few things. I know for a fact that he can survive a week in the field, because he just did."
"A week... that means he started working right after he covered for Ramirez," Thompson made the calculations out loud, but the math didn't add up. "when did he receive the training?"
"He didn't," The director replied leaving the group of ten applicants in shock. "not just that. He handled a legendary relic on his first field mission and he's accomplished every mission assigned to him. Furthermore, he explored an unclassified dark world and made it across sixty miles on foot with injured people under scorching heat just yesterday." As the director spoke the other applicants distanced themselves from Ericssen when they realized his claim had no weight. It should have been his cue to stop, but he was too stubborn to notice.
"That's one thing, but he's just a desk agent. What if he has to fight a returnee? People could die because you chose a weak agent."
"It's funny you mention it. If I remember correctly you took down a returnee, correct?"
"Yes." Ericssen nodded and a couple gasps were heard. Even Ericssen who liked to brag about everything knew better than to casually revealing it in the office.
"According to the registry, you discharged your service weapon. 15 rounds, 8 landed, five of those eight were body shots, the rest on the limbs. The suspect bled to death before medical assistance could arrive."
"Wow! I remember that case! I didn't know it was you." I female agent nudged Ericssen on the side and he rubbed his nose in a self satisfied gesture.
"There's nothing to celebrate. We lost five against against that suspect that day. He was an F class mage that returned from a peaceful world with just a few spells and items. He was just a kid who regretted leaving his family without saying goodbye and the people of his new world helped him come back. No one guided him, no one told him he should keep his abilities a secret. He could have joined our force, he could have gone back to his world..."
"He left us with no choice." Ericssen's gaze dropped to the ground.
"That's correct. I'm not arguing that. From the moment he was cornered it became a life or death situation. It was either him or our agents and I will always be on the side of our agents." The director nodded.
"Why are you telling us all this? Is it to discourage us from accepting the new position?" Nora, one of the three female agents that passed the physical test asked.
"No," The director shook her head once more. By then Bob was already finishing the course and she noted how his speed was nothing remarkable before continuing. "it's because Bob already faced a particularly agressive class C returnee with psychokinetic abilities. He was suspected of kidnapping people and ambushed Bob who had to face his odds without support or abilities of note."
"And he survived!? That's remarkable!" Thompson's hand trembled making it difficult to adjust his glasses. Ericssen became stiff and the rest paled in different shades of their skin colors. Despite working in the other world affairs department not everyone knew what a class C returnee was like, but none of them overreacted. If anything, it was the opposite. That was a feat not many experienced agents could achieve. It was absolutely impossible for them to fathom that a new agent without training could survive that encounter.
"You still don't get it, do you? He didn't just survive. He took him down, arrested him then left him unconscious completely on his own then went home and called it a day after receiving first aid. In other words," the director lingered for a second as she watched Bob approach the group, his legs trembling after finishing the track course without anyone noticing. "He is nothing short of a monster."
***
In the end, the training camp wasn't just a cover but turned out to be an actual training camp. My muscles are sore especially my back in that awkward spot where you can't reach with a hot patch. A soft knock on the door let me know Patrick just arrived. He has keys to my place, but knows better than to enter without knocking.
"Hey, man, I noticed you didn't come home after work yesterday. Am I interrupting something?" He looked around as though it was his first time entering my place instead of his daily routine.
"Your timing is perfect." I throw the hot patch at him then turn around pointing at the spot that hurt.
"Sweet mother of...," He screamed and continued after a dramatic pause. "what on earth did that woman did to you? I knew the quiet ones are the worse, but that's too much. Is she a wild cat or something?" Only then I remembered the scratches on my back caused by the barbwire and realized the misunderstanding.
"I didn't come home because there was a special training camp at work."
"Isn't that for real agents though?" Patrick asked. The obvious response was to tell him desk agents are real agents too, but I found it difficult after he slapped the hot patch on the sore spot causing me to yelp.
"That hurt."
"You asked a dude what you should have asked your girlfriend."
"I don't have a girlfriend, all I have is you. All the downsides with no benefits." I grumble as I put the shirt back on.
"Don't worry, I'm about to fix all that!"
"So you're leaving. See you tomorrow." I say with disinterest as I turn the TV on, but Patrick pounces at the remote and turns it down.
"No! We're going out with the girls tonight. Maggie said she loved hanging out with the two of us."
"Please... not tonight." I let out but Patrick is already looking himself in the mirror which means he will ignore me completely and pretend nothing happened. It's uncanny how much he can focus in his appearance. Twenty minutes later and we were already at the coffee shop. It's a nice place and I actually like the coffee here.
"Come on, just picture it. In a few years we could be best friends married to best friends." Patrick said while we waited for the girls to arrive. One thing I've learned about Patrick is that trying to convince him out of something when he's determined is a waste of time. Instead, I'll just show him how bad of an idea it is for me to date Tasha.
"It was nice seeing you the other day." I say mindlessly to Tasha earning me a kick beneath the table when our coffee arrived.
"I had a great time in our date." She said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She really told her friend we were on a date the day she disappeared.
"He's really helped you out of your shell," Maggie chuckled then turned to me. "she's always complaining about the dating scene and I've never listened to her speak about something like she does about you."
"It was a secret!" Tasha gently scolded her friend, then glared at me with raw anger.
"Don't worry, Patrick already knows we're dating." I say and her frown softened. I don't know the specifics about why she doesn't want her friend to find out she works at the FBI, but a true agent would never blow another's cover no matter the cost. Unfortunately for me, that cost was a friend with an overactive imagination and too many hopes for the future. I could see it in Patrick's face, he already pictured a double wedding in the sunset.