Time of day: 12:10 AM
Place in the time-line: February 2nd, 2010 (well, the very beginnings of)

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Oh, she really shouldn't be doing this. This was a work night. They had a congressman, Weinstein, coming in tomorrow. He was a Manhattan Democrat, probably one of the six people in Congress who was willing to get his photo taken with X-Factor. She wanted to make sure that every inch of the office was spotless. She needed to make sure that Mr. Summers' office was spotless and that there wasn't anything inappropriate in there. Needed to make sure that Mr. Carosella wasn't hanging his underwear out on the roof again.

So why did she ever agree to come out with Angie Jones for a late night of drinks and revelry? It was for her birthday, an early celebration. She wanted to be there for her coworker and her friend. She needed to get out more. She was 22 and living in New York City. It wasn't totally out of line for her to occasionally have a little fun.

Oh, but this was such a bad idea. She took two antacids while she was getting ready for this. She didn't want to get too nervous about this and end up throwing up somewhere. If she had something stronger, then she'd take that. She swore to herself that she wasn't going to drink. That didn't last that long.

She was wearing a sleeveless blue top that showed off her shoulders and a black skirt. She was having a fruity drink and bopping her head to the beat at the dance club. She was having fun and she wasn't making that good of choices.

"Angie, I love this song. Dance with me!"

There was several great things about having a steady boyfriend. Angelica could list them all off in a sing song sonnet if she wanted to, but every now and then a girl just needed her own space. This tradition was known as the 'girls night out', when free of the responsibility of guys or the pressure that came along with dating you could just get all dressed up and go out and have a blast with your best girlies. For Angelica Jones that meant her X-Factor teammates and crew, and what better time to celebrate it then her birthday.

Sharing the same B-day as your sweetie was a bit complicated since you both felt the need to one up the other, but this early celebration, this escape was all for her. No Bobby tonight. Tonight was just about her, well her and her teammates. The life of an X-factor member was never easy, and too much work and not enough play made for some tense living conditions. Live with people long enough you can start to get the feeling when they need to get a little wild and blow of some steam, for herself and a few other members of X-Factor that point had done came and went.

Case in point the latest Factor addition Paige Guthrie. The intern was a model of efficiency. Up before the rest, schedules at the ready with the list of what to dos and what had to be dones for everyone who crossed her path. To Angelica the young Kentuckian was wound so tight the red haired mutant figured the young blond was headed for an epic sized meltdown when she finally snapped. Angelica had lived her whole life in the city, these sites and sounds were almost everyday things to her. Paige had been raised in as far a removed place from New York as Angelica could imagine. The young intern was young, and beautiful and in desperate need to live a little. It had been like pulling teeth to convince Paige to come out with them but in the end the majority had won.

All mentions of work were to be left at the door, it was to be a night to engage in a little debauchery, have a little fun, and show the new girl how to live it up in the city. They had entered the club a stunning crew. A few smiles to the bouncers and the ropes and doors swung open. None of this was new to her but she imagined to Paige it was like stepping through the looking glass.

Soon the reserved intern was finding her own groove, and calling Firestar out onto the dance floor. The music was loud the drinks kind of good and the fun was just starting. Tomorrow morning would be a day like any other. Work would be waiting with fangs, but they could enjoy themselves while they could tonight, and maybe just maybe they could all be the better for it.

The two X-factor teammates moved along to the Dj's mix, a combo of house music and radio pop that just made you want to dance. Angelica was laughing probably more then she was moving, but that was okay. She was having fun and fun was something they all had been sorely lacking in. From their spot on the dance floor Angelica could see a strikingly good looking guy checking them out. He looked early to mid twenties most likely a student at NYU or some wall street whiz kid. Leaning in closer to Husk so the girl could hear her over the pounding music she called her attention to the guy as well.

"He's totally scooping you out." she said in between fits of laughter. "Okay, okay. Look but don't let him see that your looking. What do you think? I mean he's no Iceman, but he's pretty cute. C'mon Paige you don't have to find Mr. Forever, but you know Mr. Cute enough for right now is okay as well. The skies the limit for you, and you only get to be young once. Live a little. Ask him to dance or if your to shy I'll ask him for you. It's my birthday so you can't say no. It's like a rule or something"

And in between the flashing lights and rhythmic music Angelica worked as hard as she could to bring the country girl into the city way of life.

The stamp on her hand would not come off. Violey tried already to get it off with soap and water before she made that conclusion. If she had not worn the image inducer issued to her for travel outside Mutant Town, then she would have had the make-up she used to use to cover up the markings on her face to cover it up as well. Of course, the image inducer might be able to be reprogrammed to conceal the stamp but when in came to technology, she was inept. The stamp won the battle.

Coming out to the club certainly was a nice change in pace. The celebration for Angelica's birthday could be no less perfect. Expect for the stamp on Violey's hand that clearly showed her underaged status. It dampened her spirits enough not join Angelica and Paige on the dance floor. So, solitary, she sat sipping at her non-alcoholic drink wishing for wine or champagne or for one of those mixed drinks. (What exactly was an appletini?)

Music blared, people danced. A few men beckoned her to join them on the dance floor. Violey ignored them, seeing them as not worth her notice. When the final sip from the glass was finished she set it on the table with a small clink. It looked as though being forced to walk around with the blinding stamp already ruined her evening. Did they not know how soon she would turn 21? If her employer was not the government, and she was not part of X-factor, an attempt to bribe the doorman with money would have been made. If only for the stamp to be made absent from her hand.

An interesting develop started on the dance floor. Violey's eyes lit up. A rather fine looking guy kept staring at Angelica and Paige. 'So, how will this develop,' she mused to herself. To the disappointment of a guy who just worked up the courage to talk to her, Violey stood up and walked over to her teammates.

"Angelica is right," Violey agreed, "Talk to the guy, Paige."

There was a certain amount of pity that Paige felt for her X-factor teammate, Violey. She was a Frenchwoman, which meant that she was drinking alcohol, you know, wine and stuff, since she was 9 or 10 years old. From what she had read about France, it was just part of the acceptable culture. They viewed the whole drinking age, especially at the relative high age of 21, it was ridiculous to them. But that's just what Paige had read.

Plus, she couldn't feel too bad for Violey. Violey was a full-time member to X-Factor. Salary, benefits, whole package. Paige was an intern, at least for now. She was going to be moving on up the chains if everything went according to plan. But tonight wasn't the night for that.

It felt good to let her hair down, which, she reasoned, was the reason that people did it so often. She liked this, really she did. But she also wanted to live a life of meaning, so she didn't do it so often. She didn't want to hang out at clubs the entire time and become like one of those awful people on The Real World, or People magazine, or even worse, Jersey Shore. She'd rather be Hillary Rodham Clinton than Snooki. Maybe it didn't need to be that stark of a dualistic choice, but she knew the easiest way to make sure she didn't become the latter was not partaking in this kind of thing more than sparingly. It was like Oreos and other fats in a diet. It wasn't wrong to have them, it was wrong to use them a lot.

"What?" Paige said a bit alarmed by what Angelica said. She didn't have a guy, so if she really wanted to she could go for it. She did have a crush though... And that crush was a telepath, so it wasn't smart to be that wandering. "No, I don't think so... Really!?" She didn't want to get cruised at a bar. It'd be unprofessional. She'd need at least one more fruity drink.

Angelica laughed breezily at Paige's reluctance. Had she herself ever been like that? There truly wasn't any way of telling. For a long time she had been reserved and quiet, the product of the knowledge of the dangers of her powers and of what she could do. Opening up and letting people in wasn't easy, in fact it was still down right terrifying. But this wasn't really opening up was it, at least not the deeper parts of yourself, the things you were afraid would get hurt. Here in a place like this you could be whoever you wanted almost. Rules tended to be dropped off at the door and consequences tended to be the first thing you woke up to the next morning, but the night, the night was all fun, baby.

"No, I don't think so... Really!?"

"Yes, really!" Angelica said smiling, and taking another sip of her cocktail. "Look around you girl, this isn't the farm and this damn sure isn't Kentucky. You are a stunning, beautiful, girl who should be doing more then filing paper work. Sky is the limit kid, and if he turns out to be a jerk well you can just husk your hand to stone and give him a slap that'll send him crying back to his mommy. Besides its just a dance, one, singular, can't be too much harm in that."

A devilish glow seemed to catch in Angelica's eyes. There was a liberation in this, a sense of freedom that often got loss in the mess of real world tragedies and threats. There was nothing serious in pushing the newest X-factorite to go ask a guy to dance and yet there was a sense that it should be important. That things like this, being with your friends, talking them up, giving them encouragement. That stuff like that was in a way just as important as tyrannical robotic leaders or assassinating terrorist. The world needn't be all doom and gloom did it? It was totally possible to live in a moment, good friends, good music, good times.

"Violey agrees with me, Don't you Vi?" the flame haired mutant said bringing the other X-factor member into the conversation.

"So there you have it, Paige. Two against one, have some courage woman, and don't be afraid to live a little. If we can put a man on the moon we can put one on you."

A fit of giggles broke from Angelica's mouth as she realized the full effect of what she had said. " I mean we can get one on you, I mean by you.. Ohh lord" she exclaimed bringing her head to her face to cover her eyes and possible hid the blush in her cheeks. She continued to laugh so hard she felt her chest hurt, if she wasn't so embarrassed she'd be having a great time

"Help me out here, Vi. I think I'm doing more harm then good."

((OOC: Sorry for the wait in reply.))

---

Whatever pity Paige felt for her Violey was unaware as she watched the conversation between the intern and Angelica. The surprise in Paige's voice entertained her as well as the reluctance to go talk to the young man. Angelica's own argument posed amusement with her also. The reactions of both made her think of the conversation as a play, full of the chance of freedom beyond the ordinary and banter between friends.

The sudden outburst of laughter emitting from Angelica made Violey give a quizzical look. Not for the reason of her not understanding of the implications of what she just said to Paige, but for the amount of laughter which seemed in excess in her most humble opinion. Could have been the cocktail or her sense of humor but whatever it was, Angelica certainly was enjoying the evening out.

As for Paige, Violey too was curious of how the country girl would react to such a slip in words that implied more than what Angelica meant. Would her reaction be one of blushing or of denial and correction? Either way the reaction went, she looked forward to it. Not because she wanted Paige to be embarrassed but for her to continue the argument on whether she should, for once, choose to have fun with a guy. Violey did not know of Paige's crush on a telepath nor the intern's view of it.

"You are," Violey said to Angelica not denying how much harm she had done already. "Paige," she then directed, "One dance is not a confession of undying love. As Angelica explained, go out and live, even if it is a single night such as this. Not much shall come of it, this I assure you, but a memory of you taking another step outside the boundaries purposed upon you by others and yourself. Live a little," Violey repeated once more.

Then, as if still convinced Paige would not act on her own accord, Violey reached into her clutch purse and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. "If you do decide to dance with the guy checking you out, I shall treat you and Angelica the next two rounds of drinks." It had come down to a bribe, more or less. However, on her face Violey wore a playful smile as though she thought Paige knew the offer to buy the drinks was a friendly gesture and not one in wanting a friend to go against her better judgement. To make sure this was conveyed, Violey added, "For Angelica's birthday I shall still offer to buy the drinks even if you choose not to dance."

Oh, so that's how they were going to play this. Well, they knew exactly which buttons on Paige to press to get a reaction. If there's one thing she didn't want to be thought of, it was some sort of low country, trailer trash, hayseed moonshine swilling hick that didn't know her cheeses. So when Angelica brought up that this wasn't Kentucky, that was a major push to Paige's thinking. She was just trying to be proper, but now she had skin in the game, which meant that she was going to have to play in the big ring here.

Paige ignored Angelica's bit of babble. She must have had more alcohol in her, or be more of a lightweight than Paige was. Paige, after all, still had her conscience nagging her that she shouldn't be here on a night when she had to work in the morning. She was going to have to hold Violey to her promise about buying the next round, because a.) she needed to silence that voice. And b.) ugh, she was so broke now. That's what she got for being an intern. She was going to have to make sure that Alex got her a full position at X-Factor when this was all said and done. She had earned that ever since Jamie and Guido thought it would be funny to make water balloons with beer instead of water.

"So, I'm supposed to just go up and ask him to dance? Isn't that a bit desperate?" Paige said for a second, before turning her head up in the air haughtily, and decided that even if it was, she was going to make it work. "Watch this."

She walked forward, clearing her way across the not-entirely-crowded dancefloor (it was a weekday, after all), and leaned in to ask the guy to dance.

The music was a bit too loud, and the drinks were definitely too watered down, but in spite of those setbacks Vance found himself having a reasonable enough decent time. The young SHIELD agent had been guilted into going out that night by a few of his non super powered co-workers and though he considered it poor form to be out getting smashed on a week night, in the interest of good inter office relations and in the need to just cut loose every once in a while he had agreed. It may have been out of character but the telekinetic refused to bias himself to a good time with worry of work the following moment. He approached the night the same as he would any mission or job he may have been on; he focused on the moment, on the here and present.

A few times that night he found himself checking his cell phone, making sure he had signal at all times, and he had been chided by his mates for that, but he didn't let it deter him. It was possible to do both he knew, he could hang out, drink socially, talk and flirt and do all the things any regular guy living in New York would do, and he could keep prepared just in case he was needed somewhere else. It was almost an honor to sacrifice the needs of self at the altar of the security of the country; key word in that equation being almost. The world was a temperamental lover often taking and desiring more then it gave back. He loved what he did, but at the same time, every so often, a small voice would sing out in the back of his head asking him was he really satisfied? Was living for the job enough? He was young, though at times he felt he had lived and endured more than many who had shared the same amount of years as he had on the earth so far. He had grown up fast, half out of desperate need, half out of fiery circumstance.

Now he had a pristine record, and the respect of a lot of his peers, but none of that kept the bed warm at night. He didn't much believe in love. How could he when the best example he had ever seen to love had been his mother's blinded devotion to an abusive man? Love made people weak, made them stupid and stupid people got hurt. No, Vance wasn't in the market for love, he was sure of that, but he also wasn't against company. No one needed to be alone all the time, and there was defiantly a few beauties in the club tonight that would most definitely make any guy happy.

Case in point the three girls that had came in not long after he and his buddies had. All three of them were stunners, and in the dimmed light of the club he couldn't help but be struck by a sense of remembrance. He had see their faces before, he was almost sure of it, but he couldn't quite place them. After a minute or two he gave up trying, this was New York after all, every one seemed vaguely familiar at some point. So he returned to his buddies and his beer, bad jokes and braggery and occasionally he would cast a glance back over at the three of them dancing or hanging by the bar and he would be struck by that same sense of knowledge that he had seen them before.

Reaching into his pocket to retrieve and check his phone for the umpteenth time that night he found his attention was called when one of his buddies began nudging him with an elbow.

"What" he asked not bothering to look up.

"Vance, that girl you've been scooping all night is walking over here."

Vance was about to ask what girl when the blond he thought he recognized was standing in front of him. The girl was a knockout, even better up close, and when she talked he thought he could hear the trace of a southern twang in her voice.

She asked him to dance, and with a face as pretty as hers and a voice that sounded like vocal honey he happily obliged. He followed her out onto the dance floor ignoring the cheers and catcalls from the guys he had been with. When the beat was over and the dance done he led her towards the bar.

"Let me buy you a drink" he said over the music. He wondered how anyone actually met in places like this. He had friends who spoke of meeting their soul mates at clubs, but in the mix of beating music and noise he wondered how anyone was able to actually get to know anything besides what they could see with their eyes.

He ordered another beer, and what she wanted and he made the first formal introduction.

"I'm Vance, by the way.. Your not from around here are you, your voice it sort of gives it away."

He would have to remember to thank the guys for dragging him along later. It was shaping up to be a great night after all.

She was more tipsy than she thought if the Southern accent that she had worked so damn hard to scrub from her voice was noticeable again. It was the last thing she wanted to come across was some hayseed corn-fed slut who got a few drinks in her and was going to go footloose and fancy-free with any guy who looked her way.

But she was feeling good and maybe it would do her some good to just cut loose. That was her prerogative tonight, even more than celebrating Angelica's birthday. Sorry, Angelica. Hopefully this night was fun for her, and maybe it was kind of weird that so few of her teammates went with her to the bar. Paige had to excuse Havok and Polaris, since they had a wedding to plan. She didn't know them well enough to expect to be like a bridesmaid, or even invited. Maybe they weren't thinking about a wedding.

"Vance?" Paige said to the guy, "There ain't a lot of guys named Vance that I know." She placed her hands on his face, and repeated his name, "Vance, Vance, Vance." A little thing to remember his name. Plus, she got to touch him a little bit. Shameless, she knew, but it was effective.

"I'm Paige," she said, and giggled a bit. "I'm from Kentucky, originally. I've lived up here and in Boston for a few years."

"So what do you do?" Paige said, after drinking from the fruity drink that she let him buy her. Just to make sure that this guy wasn't like, a pizza delivery boy.

Conversation with the girl whose face seemed vaguely familiar was easy. When she took his face in between her hands and repeated his name in a chant in order to imprint him into her memory, he was charmed. There was something different about Paige, more so then just being from a different state. Girls around here, at least the ones he had met, were so easy to place. You had your fashionistas, the ones who thought they were the next sex and the city star, your tough New Yorkers or Jersey girls, party harders who cared more about being inebriated then actually being something, and various ones that fit into definitions in between. Paige was something different from what he usually encountered and it was intriguing and refreshing. Vance liked the thought of new company, someone different from the hardened world of government work, he was a good guy and though he held a few inappropriate thoughts about the pretty blond (he was a guy after all) mostly he liked that she was a refreshing bit of something different in a place that too often was only the same old same.

There was little that seemed fresh of the farm with Paige excluding the hint of accent that she was forcing away. Most people might not have even noticed it, but when it was your job to deal with the terrorist and evil doers of the world you learned how to read people quickly. This girl was made of tough stuff, feminine but not frail, and definitely not some bumpkin lost in the bright lights of the big city. New York hadn't robbed her of her charm and sweetness yet, which to him was a good thing. The big apple branded enough of them all, a few Paiges left out there to him was a fair enough trade off.

They talked and bantered, part flirting part just getting to know each other, it was how it was done in the world.

"So what do you do?"

He took a swallow from his drink before answering her. You would think name dropping that you were a bad ass super agent for a government task force would be the ultimate way to impress a lady, but in truth it really wasn't. Most of the time if he even begun to talk about what he done he could feel the bridge between him and whoever he was dealing with grow wider. He was terribly proud of what he did, and most people held little love for the Government anymore, especially SHIELD. Everybody wanted to feel safe, but then bitch about the actions you had to take to ensure that they were. It really was a double edged sword, and a convoluted topic. Things were going well with this girl, and he didn't feel up for a debate tonight. He would rather be vague and learn more about her, then be a too talkative workaholic who brought the job out on the town with him. He gave his country everything he had and wasn't ashamed of what he did, but sometimes even the most devoted needed to keep it low for the sake of honor and a pretty girl.

"I'm in security" he answered with a tone of finality in his voice. He wanted to imply he didn't want to talk much about what he did, but at the same time the young agent didn't want to intimidate the girls beside him away either.

"What about you?" he asked her changing the subject. he tried to bring the conversation back lighter make it breezy, make it easy. This night didn't need talk of SHIELD, or Magneto, or good mutants Vs bad mutants, and mutants vs, regular people. He was happy keeping it light, just booze and beauty and if the DJ was willing some better music.

Angelica watched with giddy satisfaction as Paige and the cute guy seemed to be hitting it off. Just call her Angelica Jones match maker to the superheros. The Blond receptionist seemed to be hitting it off well the guy, and a happy Paige was a day's great work. Maybe it would be forever, maybe just for the night, maybe just for a few dances who knew? whatever the outcome Angelica was glad she and Violey had helped give the newest X-factorite a little push. Life was too short you had to reach out for any chance of happenings you could get and grab it for all it was worth. Because you never really knew when an Apocalypse was right around the corner.

She ordered another round for her and Violey, and gave the aerokinetic a high five. It was shaping up to be a great birthday, and she was glad it was being spent in the company of her best girlies. The music played on overhead, the lights flickered and flashed and the young microwave manipulator with the flaming red hair moved along to the beat. She laughed, and danced, and left all her worries and stresses somewhere else for the night. Tomorrow could bring what it wanted. She'd rather focus on the here and now. She just needed to do one thing first. Reaching into her bag she removed her phone and with the wickets of strokes on the key pad sent a text to Bobby. When the ice man woke up, considering it was very late and he was most likely in bed he would see how much she was thinking about him, and that even with all the guys in the club looking for an in he was still the only thing she could see. She returned the phone to her purse, and grabbed Violeys hand leading her back out into the floor,

"C'mon Vi" she said to the girl, "Lets show them how X-factor rolls"

Still Paige hesitated. Violey waited patiently for the intern to choose whether or not to follow Angelica's further pleas and her own bribe. Finally, Paige walked over to the guy and Violey smiled. The air she walked with was why Violey did not see Paige as the 'country-bumpkin' or however the term went. Paige was a young woman older than her by two years, who, if Violey wished to, she could look up to; but after all, she was an intern. Not clumsy, not rustic, but an intern.

"Not desperate in the lest," she answered Paige's question knowing the other had not likely heard her. With curiousity Violey watched as Paige walked up to the young man and, by the distance she was from them, attempted to gauge the man's reaction. Since she did not return straight away it could be assumed all went well.

The high-five was returned to Angelica with a simple smile added. Though paying for the drinks, as promised, it was made sure her drink was a non-alcoholic one. If the night in June gave any example, mutant under-aged drinking was met with SHIELD crashing the place. Then there was the stamp on her hand in which she knew would not come off for days. Both instances prevented her from requesting for Angelica to sneak something more taste.

Unhappy, though she was about not being able to actually drink, Violey was pleased how the night was turning out. Paige had yet to return. Every now and then she would scope them out but she did not go over and bug them. She was glad for her.

Instead Angelica decided to drag her once more to the dance floor. "Sure, why not," Violey said with a slight shrug. There had to be a guy who would not mind having her company. The night was still young, as they say. Before her gaze began to search for a man, Violey turned to Angelica.

"Happy Birthday," Violey wished to Angelica. Back at HQ she had a small birthday gift for her. Just a simple bracelet. "May there be joyous more," she finished in a small fit of giggles.

"Securities?" Paige exclaimed, mishearing what the young man said due to the crowd, and the music and just the ridiculous levels of noise that existed in these places. "So you work for, like, Wall Street?" On one hand, exciting, because hey, that meant the guy had money and was professional, and that meant there was a good chance that he'd be able to keep up with her, and that was just a good thing for everyone involved. On the other hand, if his chosen path lead him down the Wall Street, that meant he was probably of less-than-stellar moral character. They didn't attract seminarians for those jobs.

"Me? I work for a city councilman," Paige said. She had came up with that alibi way before coming here. It was a good cover. Her job in the office was similar enough to a scheduler, and while the entire boarding house was definitely bigger than what a typical councilman would be working out of, the office parts were roughly analogous in size. Plus it was just good sense for her to have a cover story, and since she wasn't the greatest actress, she needed to have it all written out in her mind before taking it into the waters.

"Yeah, in Red Hook," she said, using the Bowdlerized term for what was now Mutant Town. While she didn't want to dance with a bigot, she didn't want him to throw his drink at her by using the 'm' word. "Its nice to get out of Brooklyn, every once in a while."

Against the beat and bass pouring from the sound system and the flickering lights how anyone was able to make any kind of connection in a setting like this was beyond him, but surprisingly he seemed to be making one. He felt a tinge of guilt for not being completely honest with her, but he pushed such feelings away with a forceful swallow of beer.

"So you work for, like, Wall Street?"

"Not exactly" he said back tiptoeing around the subject. Somethings felt to personal to reveal to someone who may end up being just a one time passing acquaintance. "More like well if the people on Wall Street watch the money, we work and watch the people who watch it"

He didn't like being dishonest even if it was vaguely. it was reasons like this he didn't go out much. How much of yourself did you reveal? What was fair game for a first meeting, and what was better kept private. He turned the conversation back to her, feeling it was safer ground. He didn't want to start over thinking things. He didn't want to be Justice tonight, just Vance.

"A councilman huh? That must keep you on your feet." he answered her back when she explained what she did for a career. So the beauty was in Government work as well, not exactly the same field but it existed in the same solar system so if you wanted to call it something in common you could. Physically the girl was more then any guy could ask for, but to hear she had something going on besides her beauty. That she was obviously smart and cared about the world around her made her that much more interesting. He continued nursing his beer, enjoying the conversation and the company.

"Could be worse you could have worked for Spitzer" he said in jest making light of what was another blow in the continuous scandal filled world thaw as New York politics.

It was what she said next that perked his ears the most though. Red Hook, the small burrow composed of nearly all mutants and home to their new arm of SHIELD X-factor. He wanted to push her more, ask how involved she was in the town. How many ties and how far reaching were they, but something made him stop. He couldn't ask her of that without revealing how much he knew on the subject and therefore having to come fort with more of who he was and what he did for a living. and for some reason it didn't seem the right moment for any of that.

Maybe it was all a coincidence. They did still happen in the world. just because Paige worked for a councilman who represented Mutant town as it was known around SHIELD meant little as to who she was. Not every person hated mutants simply because they were taught to fear what they didn't understand. Paige's stock kept on rising.

"Its nice to get out of Brooklyn, every once in a while."

"Could be worse. Could be Jersey" he said slamming the poor Garden state and hoping Paige didn't have an affinity for the neighboring place. Before he could judge out her exaction though he felt the phone is his pocket go off. No one called that number but the Office, and if they were calling it was obviously not good.

"Can you excuse me for a moment" he said to the blond taking a few steps away from her and trying to hear the voice on the other end amidst the noise of the club.

"Justice" he answered, The voice on the other end was hard to clarify. He was needed in Los Angeles for a reckon. Needed to fly out as soon as possible.
"This can't wait till the morning?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I know protocol. I'll leave in ten" He cast a longing look at the girl by the bar. Country before self he knew, always country before self.

"Sorry about that, somethings came up." He grabbed the coaster that had been privy to his beer all night, and retrieving the small travel pen he kept in his wallet, jotted down his number for the Paige.

"I'd love to see you again, if you ever get another chance to escape from Brooklyn. Give me a call maybe we can grab some coffee or something." He could almost feel the minutes puling away. He hated the choice it always was, and in some ways he hated that he knew what choice he would always make.. he made his final excuses to Paige, wished her a great night, told his friends he was needed elsewhere and headed out of the club. He'd have enough time to swing by and grab his duffel and that would be it, He hoped they put him up in a good hotel this time, some times the accommodations really sucked ass.

She knew that she was walking on very thin ice when she brought up Red Hook. It wasn't particularly the most popular neighborhood right now. It must have been a lot like admitting that you were staying at the Stonewall Inn the night before back in the 70s. But, Vance didn't exactly freak out when she mentioned it, which meant he was taking it better than pretty much she ever expected him to. He looked a bit pensive, but he was shrieking like something had bitten him between the legs.

She honestly didn't understand what Vance was saying when he talked about his job. She attributed it to the fruity drinks and the music that was just so loud. It made it hard for two people to have a conversation. So she just nodded and sipped her drink.

"Yeah, I actually met Spitzer a few days before that news came out. I was an intern for the state party; he's kind of a creeper in person," Paige said loudly over the music. It was part of her practiced stories. If she didn't have stories, she would have came across weird, and that would kill the illusion and people would start asking questions about her.

She was disappointed when he pulled that really obvious move where you fake a call, or have a friend call you and then say 'Oh no, I have to go.' She wasn't that bad, was she? She needed to do something, at least fight him on the line a little.

"Hold up," she said as she pulled out a pen from her jean's pocket. She scrawled, her handwriting much much worse than usual, her cell phone number. "Here, have this, Vance. In case your work clears up." She didn't want Angelica or Violey to say that she drove him away and wasn't willing to try. Plus, she didn't want all the blame for not calling.

She needed another drink, and maybe someone to hold her arm when they walked back to the subway.

[end thread]