[Open] Training for the big night

[distinctive_guy]

CHARACTERS: distinctive_guy and [OPEN]
DATE: Sept 01 (Day 8, night)
RATING: General, maybe a bit of violence
SUMMARY: Eliot's working off some energy in the training hall, anyone want to join?

Comments

[oxbridgethegap]

With the amount of wheeling Charles has been doing the past few days, it's no wonder his fingers are practically cramping once he touches them. And the complex's uneven paving certainly hasn't helped matters.

Still, if there's anything Charles has in spades, it's stubbornness. The utter helplessness of the first day, as well as Erik's presence on the island has only strengthened his resolve to acquaint himself with the bloody contraption known as his wheelchair. He's stuck with it the rest of his life, like it or not, and it would be beyond foolish of him to allow his pride to land him in danger again.

Ignoring the unpleasant twist the sight of the training equipment results in, Charles wheels himself into the hall to catch his breath. "I admit, all of this equipment on a seemingly abandoned island has me wondering if the company is attempting to make a point."

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot paused in mid routine when he saw the man in a wheelchair roll in. He would hazard a guess from the man's frail appearance, rather than the seemingly other obvious reason, that he wasn't in there for training. Of course, then there was the whole academic feel to the man when he opened his mouth.

"Yeah? That's the only thing that has ya wonderin'?" Eliot grinned easily at the individual and called it a break on the punching bag, which he showed by leaning against it as he regarded the other with a slightly amused expression.

[oxbridgethegap]

"No, certainly not," Charles returns, an easy smile on his face as well. "The entirety of our situation, abductions and all, has me wondering what this company has in store for all of us."

He allows his gaze to roam the hall, cataloging the number and well-used state of the equipment. "I only meant that the presence of these facilities does give the impression they want us to...survive. This is an experiment, after all."

The chuckle that escapes him is a touch self-deprecating. "It wouldn't do to lose their lab rats so quickly."

[distinctive_guy]

"Can't have that," Eliot agreed, some of his darker feelings on the matter slipping out through his tone. "At least, not ones they find useful or not in their way."

His ominous feelings lifted, however, when he gave the other a glance that was more curiosity than anything else. It was an open look of blue eyes that contained understanding, not pity, and no censorship for the other's state. The look was followed with a glance around the facility before it landed on some of the upper body equipment. "The place is pretty well stocked, but you don't look like you're here for that." He turned back with a rueful grin. "Explorin' the grounds?"

[oxbridgethegap]

"Which brings us to another point." With Eliot's frank, straightforward attitude, especially in regards to his physical condition, Charles finds himself relaxing gratefully. It's easy to lose himself in the flow of conversation when the other participant's attention isn't divided between speaking and pitying. "As we were all hand-selected for this project, it's safe to assume each and everyone of us has something of interest to the company."

At Eliot's prompting, Charles spares the equipment a glance. "You could say that. Acquainting myself with this chair takes precedence over everything else at the moment."

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot nodded in seeming understanding as he caught hold of the given opening to ask in a strictly practical way, "Temporary or permanent?" He went on to explain, "It's important for determinin' what type of equipment you should be usin'. There's some here that can help build the muscles you'll need."

Figuring he won't be continuing another round with the bag anytime soon, Eliot pushed away from the bag and indicated with a headtilt for the man to follow him over to where his stuff was placed. "They must have some pretty strange pickin' criteria," he muttered in reference to their previous conversation.

[oxbridgethegap]

Charles rolls his shoulders experimentally before shaking his head. "It's permanent, as far as the doctors could tell. The spinal chord was damaged, not the legs," he explains, voice carefully blank. "The chances of my regaining control of them are slim to none. And that was the best case scenario."

Pensively, he follows the man, ignoring the quiet squeaking of the wheels as they turn. "You forget--this is an experiment. The greater the variety of subjects, the more results they will get, perhaps."

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot nodded. He didn't ask about the worst, he had seen enough to know. "I might know some things you can try. For later, if we're still here." He ignored the sound of the wheels and didn't offer any aid to the man.

"Name's Eliot," he offered along with a friendly curve that might've been a smile had it not ended so bitterly, "Can't say I'm too fond of how they're treatin' their lab rats."

[oxbridgethegap]

While Charles has no intention of trying anything just now, it's kind of Eliot to make the offer. "If we aren't here, I would hope it's because we have returned to our homes."

"Charles Xavier," he returns with a small smile of his own. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Eliot. I must ask...this is the first time I've heard of lab rats being treated well. It usually doesn't go well for them, where I come from." He's thinking of one lab rat in particular.

[distinctive_guy]

Given how tings were going on the island, Eliot would say the chances of that optimistic reason was less than fifty-fifty. Which was about the same odds of them surviving this experimentation. Grim.

"Where I come from, people don't go through the trouble of doin' what they did, on the scale of what they did, just to let their acquisitions die off." Not in the criminal world where he worked anyway. "Doesn't make a lick of sense."