Catherine looked around at the shadows surrounding her. Shadows made her job that much easier. She ducked behind a box and looked through her scope. Nothing, no movement anywhere. Panning the room she realized that she could see a flash of light peeking from behind what looked to be a desk. She smiled to herself and put her eye back to the scope. Sure enough there was the still silhouette of the man she was looking for. She stilled her hand, took aim and shot. 

Alarms went off and the lights flickered on, blinding her and making her close her eyes. "I told you I would get you," she called across the room.

"You did, didn't you? You're good, you know that?"

"I'm beginning to believe you. Come on, let's get you out of that suit."

Scorney followed her out into the hallway, down six flights of stairs, and into the facility she had been training in for the past two weeks. She'd had no idea that it would become a home away from home and somewhat diminish the pain and loneliness she had been feeling. She smiled at Scorney who was sweating profusely in the suit he was wearing to help with the training. It was completely black, and thick. It looked like lizard skin and the eyes were covered with a shiny black plastic. The suit was the closest she would get to shooting a Nox before she actually went on her first mission.

She and Scorney entered the lighted viewing room where she could review her training session and he could change back into his clothing. He smiled at her as she went to the screens, no doubt entertained by her focus, and then left to an adjoining room where his clothing and other personal items were. Catherine started the tape.

The mock mission had begun on the first of the six floors with about nine men in the Nox suits. A fight had ensued, one where she had not been permitted to use a weapon. She watched herself, looking for any mistakes she had made. During this particular fight, she spotted three, all of which could have ended her life in a more ruthless fight with nine real Nox. She'd "killed" eight and raced up the stairs after the ninth. He had hidden himself away on the sixth floor in an "office." Fortunately for her, the shiny plastic covering the eyeholes glimmered in the lights, as the eyes of the Nox did. She wasn't sure where the light had come from, but she was happy for it. 

"How'd you do," Scorney asked. He was tall and olive-skinned with blue eyes and a flash of a smile that usually stunned. 

"I died three times," she said, laughing. "Where'd that light come from?"

"What light?"

"It's how I spotted you. A light flashed off of your left eyeplate."

"That room was pitch black. Not possible."

"Oh," she muttered, racking her brain. Then what was it? She thought to herself. "Let's go grab some lunch, I'm starved."

"Sure thing," he answered, frowning at her. "You okay? Should we have your vision checked?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Let's go eat. I vote pizza. Race ya," she winked and took off running out of the room. She heard his footsteps behind her and smiled to herself. She knew he was going to win, but it was invigorating. And it took her mind off of the "light" that was never there.