Lex and Scott | Afternoon

[x-lexington.livejournal.com]

Lex and Scott talk after a particularly bad session in the Danger Room.


Disappointment. That's what Lex was, a disappointment. He couldn't help but feeling like a pathetic bastard every time he entered the danger room. His control over his electrokinesis was atrocious, even with the help he'd been getting from Nori. He could barely create enough energy to stun the drones, let alone do the complicated tasks the scenarios called for. He longed to hold a gun or a knife and be able to attack his opponents head on, but that was not what Scott wanted. He wanted Lex to learn to trust and rely on his powers, something Lex was having a damn hard time doing.

As the program ended he looked up to the control booth and tried to gauge Scott's reaction. From what he saw he knew it was probably better to either walk out without speaking or ask for another run. Unable to decide which to do he merely stood there and waited for the tirade to begin.

Scott tried not to roll his eyes as he leaned forward, triggering the mike. "Would you stop looking like a kicked puppy?" he said. "Come on up here."

Lex made his way up to the control booth. He didn't know what to expect from Scott, especially after his piss poor performance. Opening the door, he walked in and had to stop himself from saluting. "Was it that bad?" he asked, his face the picture of self-loathing.

Scott just gazed at him for a moment, not entirely sure what to say. What is it with me and trainees whose self-esteem requires gentle handling? "Question for you," he said, instead of answering Lex's. "Did you actually expect to be able to walk into powers-based combat and excel at it?"

"Actually," he said, lifting himself up, "I thought I could use what I knew to propel me through this. When you said I couldn't use a gun I was a bit disappointed, but I knew my hand-to-hand skills were damn
refined." He looked Scott in the face boldly, though I didn't expect you to take both of those away from me in the first session.

"Your hand to hand skills are useful," Scott said, interpreting the other man's expression even if he couldn't in fact read his mind, "but they're going to be primarily a back-up skill. At least, until you get
enough control over your powers to be able to enhance your hand-to-hand non-lethally. And your weapons skills," he said, looking back at the console for long enough to reset the Room, "are pretty much completely immaterial for us."

Lex cringed slightly at that, but tried to hide it as Scott turned back to him. He didn't like the idea of not holding a gun in his hands, it seemed unnatural. "I understand, Sir." He looked at what Scott had done to the danger room, and nodded, "I take it you want me to do another run, Sir?"

Do not roll your eyes. "Lex," Scott said patiently, "you need to quit calling me sir. I know it's an adjustment, but the more you work on it, the easier it's going to be. Cyclops, if you absolutely have to - and only in the Danger Room or the field. Scott, preferably."

Lex nodded, then stop making me feel like I'm back in basic. "Of course, Scott. It'll take me a little while to adjust to calling the man who gives me orders anything but sir." He looked back at the danger room, he really needed to get back in there and keep trying. "Do you want me to do another run?"

"I don't know," Scott said, not quite dryly. "You seem a little tightly wound at the moment. I find one doesn't generally perform their best, that way..."

Lex smiled despite himself, admitting that Scott had him pretty clearly read. "You're right, but I feel that the only way for me to make a break through at this moment is to keep trying." He looked at Scott seriously, "So, if you don't have any other objections, I want to try that one again. I know I can do better."

"You can try it again," Scott said, and waited only long enough for Lex to start turning towards the door before he continued. "Once you've written up a full self-evaluation of what you feel went wrong here, and read the one I'm going to write." He shrugged, smiling faintly. "Boring-ass paperwork, yes, but evaluation is the name of the game."

Mmmm...Lex thought, boy don't I just love paperwork. "Can we talk about both over a beer afterwards then?" He said, half turning back. He knew that paperwork meant downtime, and a way to cool off, which wasn't what he wanted. The compromise of a beer might allow him to relax and take a brutal lecture at the same time.

"Mmm. Maybe. When we've both written up our evaluations," Scott temporized. "I want you evaluating yourself with a clear head." Another flicker of a smile. "I, on the other hand, regularly do paperwork with a beer in my hand. It's a way to avoid ulcers."

"If you insist, Scott." Lex said, suddenly feeling a bit lighter. He was imagining him and the other man sitting back to back in the situation room with a 12-pack of beer sitting between them. That'd be the day.