Fic: Job Interview
Fic: Job Interview
Author: LMX
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None specific, maybe for Scheherazade?
AN: FIGHT BINGO! - Ally (Masterpost)
He'd sat there silent throughout the interview, while Hardison outlined their mission statement and while the kid churned out some pretty standard - but not to say unacceptable - answers to the feeble interviewer questions Hardison had thought up.
They were well on their way to wrapping it up when Hardison turned to him. "So Eliot, what do you think? Are you happy with this one?" Hardison's tone was teasing, but the question was serious enough.
Eliot didn't reply, just stood and squared off against the other hitter. "If you're gonna be working for Hardison here, I need to know you're good enough," he growled.
"Well Mr. Hardison has seen my CV, and you've heard my..." The kid trailed off as Eliot took one aggressive step forwards. "You... Oh." He was wide-eyed and desperately young, but he'd moved into a good strong stance the moment Eliot had stood, and firmed up when Eliot had stepped forwards. This was better than the last two kids already.
He didn't give him any more opportunity to prepare, if the kid wasn't ready to fall into a fight at a moment's notice then he wasn't good enough for Alec's little spin-out.
Eliot dove in with a swinging fist, barely registering Alec pulling the three plastic chairs out of the way as they cleared the floor. His blow was easily deflected and the following two punches as well, but the kid didn't return any of his own, glancing uncertainly at Hardison. Eliot pulled out a high kick, leaving himself wide open for a return after the kid's textbook block. He just glanced over at Hardison again.
"What are you waiting for, kid?" Eliot demanded, taking a step back to open up the space between them again. "You gonna fight?"
"I was waiting for permission to engage, Mr. Spencer. Sorry."
"Oh man," Hardison grinned. "I *like* this one."
Eliot was inclined to agree. "Tony, you don't wait for permission to engage if you see something that's going to be a danger to you or the team, understand?"
"Of course not, sir." There was a twist to his lips that was the suggestion that Eliot wasn't a danger to him right now, but he was sensible enough not verbalise it.
Eliot glanced Hardison's way, and the hacker soon-to-be mastermind nodded his assent. "Alright, have at Eliot."
The kid cleared the space between them in a beat and Eliot blocked and defended as he went sharply through a sequence of simple straight kicks and punches. Eliot would put money on him assessing Eliot's style with every single moment, assessing weaknesses and possible openings.
Eliot left an opening, lifting his elbow as he blocked, and he caught the anticipated kick, throwing the foot up in the air with an aim to put the kid on his ass. Instead the kid twisted through it and flicked around for a sharp kick with the other foot, scoring a hit square on Eliot's hip.
Eliot shifted back, absorbing the blow, and won in a couple of decent punches as the kid recovered from the off-balancing kick, but it brought him in close enough for two hands to close around his collar and the kid threw him clear over his head and flat onto the concrete floor.
Eliot gave himself a minute to remember how to breathe, seeing the kid drop back into a defensive stance behind him.
He wheezed for a minute, before managing; "He'll do."
Author: LMX
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None specific, maybe for Scheherazade?
AN: FIGHT BINGO! - Ally (Masterpost)
He'd sat there silent throughout the interview, while Hardison outlined their mission statement and while the kid churned out some pretty standard - but not to say unacceptable - answers to the feeble interviewer questions Hardison had thought up.
They were well on their way to wrapping it up when Hardison turned to him. "So Eliot, what do you think? Are you happy with this one?" Hardison's tone was teasing, but the question was serious enough.
Eliot didn't reply, just stood and squared off against the other hitter. "If you're gonna be working for Hardison here, I need to know you're good enough," he growled.
"Well Mr. Hardison has seen my CV, and you've heard my..." The kid trailed off as Eliot took one aggressive step forwards. "You... Oh." He was wide-eyed and desperately young, but he'd moved into a good strong stance the moment Eliot had stood, and firmed up when Eliot had stepped forwards. This was better than the last two kids already.
He didn't give him any more opportunity to prepare, if the kid wasn't ready to fall into a fight at a moment's notice then he wasn't good enough for Alec's little spin-out.
Eliot dove in with a swinging fist, barely registering Alec pulling the three plastic chairs out of the way as they cleared the floor. His blow was easily deflected and the following two punches as well, but the kid didn't return any of his own, glancing uncertainly at Hardison. Eliot pulled out a high kick, leaving himself wide open for a return after the kid's textbook block. He just glanced over at Hardison again.
"What are you waiting for, kid?" Eliot demanded, taking a step back to open up the space between them again. "You gonna fight?"
"I was waiting for permission to engage, Mr. Spencer. Sorry."
"Oh man," Hardison grinned. "I *like* this one."
Eliot was inclined to agree. "Tony, you don't wait for permission to engage if you see something that's going to be a danger to you or the team, understand?"
"Of course not, sir." There was a twist to his lips that was the suggestion that Eliot wasn't a danger to him right now, but he was sensible enough not verbalise it.
Eliot glanced Hardison's way, and the hacker soon-to-be mastermind nodded his assent. "Alright, have at Eliot."
The kid cleared the space between them in a beat and Eliot blocked and defended as he went sharply through a sequence of simple straight kicks and punches. Eliot would put money on him assessing Eliot's style with every single moment, assessing weaknesses and possible openings.
Eliot left an opening, lifting his elbow as he blocked, and he caught the anticipated kick, throwing the foot up in the air with an aim to put the kid on his ass. Instead the kid twisted through it and flicked around for a sharp kick with the other foot, scoring a hit square on Eliot's hip.
Eliot shifted back, absorbing the blow, and won in a couple of decent punches as the kid recovered from the off-balancing kick, but it brought him in close enough for two hands to close around his collar and the kid threw him clear over his head and flat onto the concrete floor.
Eliot gave himself a minute to remember how to breathe, seeing the kid drop back into a defensive stance behind him.
He wheezed for a minute, before managing; "He'll do."