Saving the World - Awakening

Tests, Tests, and a Balancing Act

It took a lot to get Eliot frustrated. Having to deal with his father and his drunken friends in the past caused him to have a relatively even temper.  B's tests were far and away the most frustrating things he had ever encountered.  Three hours of what felt like torture, and the worst part about it was wondering if he was doing it right.

After he flipped over the last sheet of paper, Eliot breathed a huge sigh of relief.  His whole body was tense, unused to sitting for long periods of time.  He felt slightly embarrassed, he wasn't a superb reader.  Considering his circumstances, he was lucky to have learned to read at all, though he didn't really remember when or where he learned.  He only cared that he was finished.

Across from him, Dr. Nicos was muttering to herself while scribbling in a notebook.  She had distracted him the entire time, contributing to his already negative experience.  He looked up at her and cleared his throat loudly.  No response.

"Dr. Nicos, I'm done." Eliot prodded.

"Yes, y-yes, give it to m-m-me of c-course!" she replied brashly.

Eliot stood up and almost collapsed.  Blood rushed back to his limbs as he staggered out the door.

Dr. Nicos held her tests in her own room, which felt strange to Eliot.  She didn't understand many social constructs, like privacy and politeness.  He didn't really mind all that much, though, since his room was nearby.  He didn't want the morning to go entirely to waste, so he figured he would get a boxing session in.

He had begun to get to know his surroundings.  After getting lost several times, he had been forced to learn his way around.  Rounding one of the many identical corners of the building, he followed the room numbers to his own.  His room was just as he left it, blood stained carpet and all.  His morning was definitely one of the strangest he had ever had, what with the mind trip, bad dream, bloody nose and paperwork.  All good fuel to burn in the next half an hour.

* * *

A knock on the door distracted Eliot from his thoughts for the second time that day.  This time, though, he was in the middle of beating away at his punching bag.  With one final punch, he stepped away from the bag and went to answer the door.

"Hello there, Eliot!"

Mr. G stood before him, bending down to look through the doorway. Eliot once again hid his bruised and slightly bloody knuckles from sight.

"What can I help you with?" Eliot asked.

"I'm here to bring you to your final test, your 'initiation' as it would be" Mr. G replied, "You passed your tests, and now you have to participate in the final ceremony."

Noticing Eliot's shirtless body, Mr. G added, "Of course you can get dressed first."

Without another word, Eliot closed the door and cleaned himself up, all the while wondering what this obscure ceremony would be.  Perhaps it was some kind of blood rite, and he would have to bleed into a fire.  Maybe they would summon some dark being to concrete his part of the Side Show, or whatever agenda B had.  All things considered, he didn't put it past the Side Show to think up some sadistic kind of ceremony.

Half an hour later, Eliot emerged from his room.  Mr. G was patiently waiting outside his door for Eliot. He marveled at the huge man.  Mr. G was bigger than anyone else there, he could easily intimidate everyone around him to get what he wanted.  Yet he settled for being Eliot's butler.  The term "gentle giant" had never described someone better than Mr. G.

The two made their way to the square, twisting and turning through the maze-like hallways until they reached the door outside.  The sun shone high in the sky, glaring down at the dealers scattered all along the buildings.  Above them, acrobats swung across ropes like monkeys in the jungle. A giant net spanned the space underneath the ropes, providing a safeguard if any were to fall.  Eliot had never noticed them before, and wondered how they were able to do such feats of strength and agility.