It had been a long time since Elliot had felt so free. It took a long time for him to realize, that he is not a hero like in the books he read in his childhood. He is also not a clichéd villain, who always loses in the end. If Elliot were to choose what he is, he would choose necessary evil.
The hero needs motivation to go out on his journey, and this motivation is usually generated by suffering. Either because of the loss of someone or because he has lost everything, etc. The villain with a tragic story will always be the most beloved by the fans. And what do the villain and the hero of these stories have in common? That's right, suffering! Elliot is the one who causes suffering for both the hero and the villain!
Elliot saw through the poor man's ploy. He saw that Elliot was now using a cane, and associating this with Elliot's disappearance from the underground fighting world, he guessed that Elliot had a serious injury and wanted to use this to try to escape alive.
