Scott and Haroun, Tuesday morning

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Haroun's on his way out of the Danger Room, Scott's on his way in (for the first time since Youra). The two of them stop in the locker room and have one of those rambling, training-related chats. Scott Has Plans. The rest of the team should Be Afraid.


It was really kind of ridiculous, how good it felt to be back in the leathers. Scott shrugged his shoulders, then leaned over to tighten a boot. His knee wasn't one hundred percent yet, but it was close enough to get back to real training, and hopefully, depending on how that training went, active status.

Haroun threw open the door to the men's locker room, staggered inside, and theatrically flopped down on the bench. He was _dripping_ in sweat and he _reeked_ of sulphur. "I think the Danger Room is trying to kill me." he moaned.

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Of course it is," he said with a perfectly straight face. "I asked it to. As a special favor."

Haroun rolled over onto his back, looked up at Scott, and flipped him the bird. "This wouldn't surprise me." he said, slowly unzipping his jacket to shrug out of it. "But I only "died" five times on this run. A new record for me. Down from eight two weeks ago, and twelve the week before that. I'll beat it eventually. But not until I shower and sleep. Maybe not in that order."

"Persistence is a virtue," Scott said, closing his locker door. "But do make sure you shower. I think Alison would probably appreciate it." He gave Haroun a brief grin.

"Too tired." he said, feebly shrugging one arm out of his jacket. "Run is a killer. Stupid turrets."

"You could always go collapse out on the lawn. I'm sure Cain wouldn't mind hosing you down..."

"Too far to go between here and there." he complained. "And I need the special anti-chemical stuff we keep in here to get the stink out." He sat up, lurchingly, and peeled himself out of the T-shirt he wore underneath his uniform jacket as well. "You're up next, I take it?"

"Yes. Finally. Jean cleared me for sparring and the Danger Room again - a little early, she claims, but I think she's being overly cautious." He smiled wryly. "She always did do that."

Haroun grinned. "If I were not a puddle of sulphurated goo right now, I'd take you up for a spin around the mat." he pointed out. "But right now, Miles could kick my ass."

"Patience is a virtue," Scott quipped. "So long as I don't mangle myself simply because I'm out of practice, you should have the chance soon."

"You're not going to mangle yourself. We maladapts gotta stick together, after all." he said, working at ditching the uniform pants as well. "I have _so_ earned dinner tonight." he said to no-one in particular.

"Something special in mind?" Scott asked with a chuckle.

"Home cooking, or at least the closest I can come here. I have this place I know, in the City. Alison and I go there quite a bit when I'm feeling homesick." he explained, peeling himself out of his remaining uniform bits, gathering them up to dump into the Hazmat bin.

"Moroccan food, huh? I don't think I've ever tried it before..." Scott put his other foot up on the bench and adjusted that boot as well. "Longing for home these days?"

"I get tired of American bland stuff. I miss my home." he said, gathering up his shower things out of his locker. "And I feel bad for pestering Lorna to indulge me all the time."

"Are these fellow expatriates, that run the restaurant?"

Haroun nodded. "Yep. Married couple and their four kids." he said with a grin. "Crap, I don't have a towel in here. I'll snag one of the Institute ones, and make it up to Charles later." he said. At Scott's confused look, he shrugged. "I'm covered in industrial chemicals right now - side-effect of my power. So I use a special soap to work 'em out of my skin, but I don't always get it all, and they are HELL on towels. So I have a stash that I use that I pay for."

Scott opened his mouth - and then closed it again, reminding himself that Haroun's pride was a prickly thing at the best of times. "Amazing how our mutations have odd little consequences like that. I don't take aspirin - I had to get Jean to whip me up a mild painkiller I could take on a long-term basis without nasty side effects because I'd go through too much over-the-counter-type stuff otherwise."

Haroun hrmmed. "Yeah, mutation's a bitch that way." he commented, and then disappeared into the open shower area to start getting clean. "So what run are you doing?" he asked Scott over the sound of the water.

"Just a standard Rat Race," Scott said, trying to decide between visors. "Don't want to try anything too complicated just yet. I need to see how the knee holds up to going all-out."

"Smart man." Haroun said approvingly. "Any particular cheese on this one, or is it pure Point A to Point B?"

"The latter. Extra points for speed," Scott said good-humoredly. "I'm not anticipating getting much in the way of bonus points today. I can beat my turtle finally, but that's not saying much."

Haroun laughed at that. "We've got a team meeting tomorrow night, right? Trainee review, personal development overview, the Bitchfest, all the usual stuff?" he asked.

"Yes indeed. I'm even ordering pizza in," Scott said flippantly. "But seriously, we've got quite a bit to talk about. Good and bad when it comes to the trainees, and I want the rest of you to devote some special attention to evaluating those of us who were hurt on Youra and how well or not-well we're getting back into the swing of things."

"Hey, I got hurt at Youra too, but it was just the elbow. I've been medically cleared." he pointed out. "And make sure to get no sausage this time. Muslim, remember?" he teased. "And Lorna will have a cow, but watching her have a cow is often entertaining."

"There's nothing wrong with pizza. It's something of a tradition, too." Scott grinned. "But I'll remember the sausage. Was Sam that ordered last time, so you can blame him."

"Sam Is Trying To Kill Me. Exhibit 42 of an ongoing series." he stated flatly, then laughed. "It's just revenge for teaching him how to plow his Momma's fields with his head."

"Your doing, huh? Really, I need to find a way to thank you for that," Scott joked, then put on his best innocently evil tone. "In fact, I probably have a way. New program I was designing last week before the wedding..."

Haroun grinned from inside the shower. "You have my almost-complete attention here. What'd you have in mind?"

"I think I'll make you guess. I'll give you a hint, though - I've finally decided that you and Alison are right and we really need to do some more regular work outside the Danger Room."

Haroun cheered. "That's fantastic. Are we going to plow the earth with Sam's head again, then water it from one of Ororo's rainstorms?"

"No, but I'll keep that in mind for future exercises," Scott said wryly. "Hint number two. OPFOR."

Haroun shut down his shower, and then poked his head out of the steaming shower area with a big grin on his face. "Gold vs Black, or Real X-Men vs Trainees?"

"Gold versus Black," Scott said. "Found a nice spot in the Adirondacks where we can make some noise without garnering notice, and Ororo's going to make some bad weather on-demand."

"Suggestion? Have Blue and the trainees sit in to watch. Might be able to learn something." he grinned. "And have the medical people fully-stocked. No safeties = people might get hurt."

"Actually, I thought we'd do the whole thing without so much as a first-aid kit," Scott said, raising an eyebrow.

Haroun blinked. Repeatedly. "Finesse test. I like it." he said musingly. "You get to tell Medical about it, though."

"Joking, Haroun," Scott said, then chuckled. "I really need to work on the deadpan face, don't I? People keep thinking I'm serious when I say things like that..."

Haroun shrugged. "Sorry, man." he said, then walked over to his locker to begin putting on his sttreet clothes. "But yeah, I think this is a fantastic idea."

"Don't apologize. The hardcore approach has a place, you'll never catch me denying that." Scott smiled. "I'll send you the parameters I've worked up," he suggested, "you and Sam and Kurt. If the three of you can come up with a variation for the trainees, maybe we'll do that too." He and Alison and Ororo could refine his plan for the team exercise together.

"Wouldn't hurt to get 'em out there in the Real World some." he grinned. "Nathan and I were joking around one day - we wanted to drop them in Yemen and make 'em walk to Kenya. Give 'em a map, a compass, and a few hundred in some of the appropriate currencies."

"Yemen... to Kenya." Scott laughed. "Could be interesting. A little more long-term than most of our training exercises, mind you..." He gave his jacket a tug, then straightened. "Maybe not such a bad idea to range a little farther afield, if we're going to do outside training exercises, though," he said thoughtfully. "I'll have to think about that..."

Haroun nodded. "Please do. Anyway, I think you've got a run coming up, yes? And I've got a final to write."

"True. If I don't get in there, the next person on the schedule will beat me to it," Scott said with a chuckle, turning towards the door. "I'll send you the details. Let me know what you think."

"I'm looking forward to it. Kick some ass, I'll catch up with you later." he said, pulling on a shirt.