9360/Heavy Metal Thunder: Part Deux

Heavy Metal Thunder: Part Deux
Date of Scene:	29 September 2019
Location:	Garage - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Kitty gets Samuel-Bean and Alek started on motorcycle projects. Kaydin comes visiting.
Cast of Characters:	Shadowcat, Smart Alek, Samuel Morgan, Kaydin LeGraize

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Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty hadn't ever had any training in being a guidance counselor. She'd just come back from Oxford seeking closure with Piotr, and was asked if she'd help out at the school while she was back.

So, apart from some reading, she's just sort of winged it, doing as she thinks is probably best. And in this case, she wants to Samuel but also help give him something else to do help him fit in and occupy his time. Kitty had literally bought a barn-full of old motorcycles, scooters, and even a car frame from a Buick Roadmaster from a neighboring farm back at the start of summer, and given them to the students for projects.

They are picked over now, with only various parts left that weren't needed. So Kitty does some scrounging and manages to come up with two more bikes from elsewhere in the community that need a lot of work to be rebuilt and get running again. The truck delivering them has just left, and Kitty sends off a text to Samuel and Alek, asking if they can meet her in the garage. Adding another friend won't hurt either, she figures, neither Samuel nor Alek. And they do seem to have a bit in common.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek finds his way to the garage, it's some place he's not actually been to on the ground. It's both an exciting and scary feeling. He reaches the door and with a touch, the schematics of the garage appear in his mind and he whistles, he mumbles, "They do nothing small or simple in this place do they." He enters and takes a few steps into the garage, and he peers about the ceiling mostly, "Nice place."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It comes as a surprise when Bean receives a text message. Despite his shenanigans last night in using a backdoor to get through to Captain America, he had precious little use for the phone the school got for him on his first day. Who do you call when you have no friends? It's with some suspicion that he enters a short while after Alek, already familiar with the garage, and having passed through a few times on his way to the stables. He nods to Alek and then gives a deeper, more respectful nod to Kitty. "Miss Pryde. You ehm... wanted to see me?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty has her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She's wearing some shorts and a white tank top with an older shirt work over top but hanging open. There are already some rust spots on it from where she helped unload the motorcycle frames and engine parts that are now taking up one of the stalls.

"There you are," the young woman says, flashing them both an easy smile as the students come in. The comment from Alek gets a little grin from Kitty. "Yeah, this place probably costs more than most family's homes," she agrees as she glances around the spacious garage.

"So, we had a bunch of old motorcycles we got the beginning of the summer, as student and staff projects. You two got here too late to pick out your own. I thought maybe you might be interested in one though?" she says, motioning at the new parts. "I've got enough parts for two. Though you'll probably have to buy a few things along the way. The school will pay for them if so, within reason," she says.

KItty gauges their reactions as she goes over to where a number of the restored and repaired bikes are at. "This one is mine. Daisy," she says, wheeling an old 1960s Vespa scooter, painted yellow and with flower stickers on her.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek cants his neck to the side, "Ooh we're building our own bikes... that's cool. Your awesome Miss Pryde." He looks to Samuel, "These are actual real bikes... I think I've used a hundred bikes in various games, this will be educational. You ever build things with your hands?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Oh now this was unexpected. With a slightly more interested eye, Bean looks over the half finished and semi-finished motorbikes, as well as what he believed to be bikes belonging to the school for general student use. Those were actual projects? And... the school paid for them? "I'm a bit... speechless."

    Of course he has a look at Daisy, smiling at the design of the classic scooter. "Piaggio Vespa, the italian Wasp. That must have taken some work, classic parts haven't been imported since the late 1980's." Someone's linked to the network, it seems. He even kneels to look at how the cowling has been restored, marveling at the bodywork while he answers Alek. "A few things. Pistols, mostly, but... helping out in the motor pool was always fun. Cleared my head."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde flashes a smile at their reaction to the news. "Have to wear helmets. There should be some left. Some of the students have been paining them," she comments, motioning over to where a number of helmets are hanging up, those who don't keep them in their rooms.

Kitty smiles down at the Vespa. "Moochie helped, he is learning Italian so I made him translate the manuals for me," she says, speaking of one of the other students. His real name is Julian but he's always asking if people are going to finish whatever they are eating, despite being skinny as a bean pole.

Kitty puts Daisy away after they have a chance to look at her, then says, "Lorna can also help with fabricating parts. She helped quite a bit here. Getting the paint to look right was harder than the parts even," she comments of the Vespa.

Kitty looks towards both boys to ask, "So how are things going for you both? This being the first semester for both of you. Are you finding friends and feeling like you're fitting in," she asks then, resting her hands on her hips, and smearing more dirt on her shirt in doing so.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek is running his hands along the various bikes if not stopped... his eyes glow brighter blue then normal as he does such, each providing him a good example of working (or not so working) example to restore his own bike to, The last part of Kitty's statement eventually cuts through some of the noise, "Ooh... It's nice to not be the only misfit among misfits..." he grins a bit, "I feel normal for once." He looks over to Samuel, "And even some misfits that are very similar... I just wished I had known of this place earlier.. would have spared so much alone time."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Standing when Daisy is rolled away, Bean starts to look over to the pile of parts and frames, seeing if he can recognize any of it before laying claim to a busted bike to restore. A line catches his eye and he heads on over, stepping over rusted bits and pieces until he gets to the almost entirely stripped frame of something that seems to strike a chord. He doesn't have Alek's senses, but somehow this... well, quite honestly, this tetanus trap, speaks to him. "It's been interesting. Having this kind of freedom, so many people around, none of them actively trying to kill me." He looks at Kitty. "I don't know how take most of it, some of it I just plainly don't understand, but people here are... nice. Understanding. And this thing used to be a Honda Shadow VT1100C, I'm sure of it."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty breaks out in a small grin for both young men as they figure out what they are doing on their own. "I had to prod some of the kids to get manuals and repair guides for their bikes. Doing that kind of research was part of the benefit. I kind of figured you two would manage it well on your own," she says, grinning softly.

Kitty nods at Samuel's identification of the bike. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. I know you've been through a bit, and you especially Samuel. I didn't have the issues you both did, but I found a real home here. The Professor recruited me when I was thirteen," she says.

"Alek, you've already been a huge help to us a couple of times now," she tells him. "And Sam, it's good seeing you fitting in and seeing what life can be. If you need to talk about anything? If something out there doesn't make sense and you don't feel like talking about it with the other students, just let me know, ok? Also, we have some Danger Room social programs we made for other students. I don't know how much you're used to family social interactions, some of them are probably a bit basic for you, but others might be helpful," she offers.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek gets passes Samuel's claimed bike and finds what could be described as now 'his' bike. He rubs his hands along the frame of the bike noticing it's structure, "Pistols?" he asks noone in particular... he shakes his head, a bit, that would be prying Alek... He goes quiet a moment as he completes his scan of the bike's molecular structure and blue prints. He looks to various piles of parts around the garage, "I think I know why we like to fix things like this.. it's like being a bit like God, assembling something from what people would say is nothing to something that works." Another random insert, "Yeah it probably is a Shadow... They were unique things, not much used that engine design. I guess being unique is what this place is about..."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Kneeling among the rust and debris without a care in the world, it seems, Bean inspects what's left of the bike. At first glance, this is going to take time. Lots of time. But at least it doesn't seem like too much of the engine will need to be rebuilt. One hand on the engine block, the other on the rusted frame, the troubled teen bites his lip before answering Kitty. "It depends on how you define a family. If you mean, mother, father, siblings... then no. Never. Not once." He even pushes himself to say something more, something which may have weighed on his mind for a while. "I never had a mother. My father wasn't."

    "Laura has been helping me. It's actually... easier to have it explained by someone who grew up almost the same. There's cues I miss, and I have to fight some of my subterfuge training the whole time." Infiltration is after all not the same as fitting in. It just means pretending you do. "Doug seems to think I have a romantic interest in Shannon."

    Just as abruptly, he changes topic again, smiling to Alek. "Awesome. Those engines were nearly impossible to kill, that's going to save a lot of work."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty nods over towards Alex. "It's good for the soul to create with our hands," she says as if quoting something or someone. "There's just a feeling that I don't think anything else is quite like, when view a creation of your own. I feel it with a program too, but when it's tactile and physical I think there's something else to it, something better," she comments.

Kitty looks at the bike Alek has chosen. "And it's more fun when you get to race someone down the driveway on them," she says with a laugh. They may have heard of her racing Daisy against Peter Parker on a restored moped.

Kitty moves over to Samuel's side. "I'm glad she's been able to help. Probably helps her a little bit too, seeing another going through the same thing. That is a great thing about the school. Knowing we're not alone, there's others like us," she says.

Smart Alek has posed:
Alek says, "However I can help man.. I will." he looks to Samuel, "Once we have our own rides... we'll truely be free, free from subway schedules and hitching rides with random people. I fear for the traffic lights that get in our path." he grins. as he looks over his own bike, "Imperfections everywhere.. but nothing analog is perfect anyway.""

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "The imperfections make it unique." Now it's time for Sam to sound like a fortune cookie, giving an appreciative smile to both Alek and Kitty. "It's going to be fun rebuilding this. Shame I won't be able to legally drive it." He shrugs to Kitty, still smiling. "Driver's license kind of requires a legal identity."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty considers that. "We can probably make something work, Samuel. Just need a little time there. And... ah, not running traffic lights. Seriously, you can imagine what it's like for the school, supplying you guys with bikes. But, really, they are nothing compared to the responsibility everyone already has to show with their mutant powers. Or at least, that's how I look at it," Kitty says.

"But you get it worked out and we'll see what we can do there. I imagine there are some that could help us put the paperwork through to get you legally recognized," Kitty says to Sasmuel.

Kaydin LeGraize has posed:
    Blue lightning arcs as a blur moves along the room. the blur leaves and returns with a french hat and a bouquet of flowers. He offers the flowers to Kitty. "Hello! I have come to offer this offering of flowers so I may be able to bribe you in letting me run around after curfew." He says with a smile as he looks to Samuel. "We met in the stables...you're the guy who likes shannnon."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There's another appreciative smile to Kitty, for giving Bean hope that he might actually be recognised as a person before his 21st birthday. "Well... won't do me much good if I don't have anything to ride, right?" And with that, he begins to direct-sense videos on bike restoration, running them in the back of his consciousness while his body walks over to the toolchest and selects a pair of socket wrenches... and an oil pan. Because first things first, he slides up next to the remains of that bike and drains what remains of the oil into the pan.

    This time, the blue lightning barely gets his attention, engrossed in the minutiae of a new project. Besides, he's already decided that Kaydin is harmless. "We also met in the medical lab. I nearly creamed you with an IV stand."

Shadowcat has posed:
Mostly Harmless. Sort of like the Earth. Kitty isn't taken by too great of surprise at the speedy arrival, though the flowers were unexpected. "Oh, thank you, Kaydin," she says, taking them. "Well, you still have to follow the rules. Let people know when and where you're going, and not alone. Doug Ramsey made an app to make it easy to alert us," she says. "My own experience shows why there's still need for it," she says of her time in a coma in the X-men's Medical Bay. "Was there somewhere in particular you were thinking of going?"

Kitty smiles as she watches Samuel get to work. She pulls up a stool over against the side of the stall the bike parts are in, taking a seat on it to watch for now.

Kaydin LeGraize has posed:
    "I was going to go to gotham and beat up on thugs and see if I can catch batman and his entourage of bird nammed vigilantes." Kaydin says as he looks to Samuel. "Yea I remember that. Sorry...things are too slow." He says as he watches the kid. "So let me guess, you have the x gene and are a mutant. I am probably am the only non mutant here."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Once he starts going, Bean is surprisingly industrious. The rest of the world just fades away as he starts to strip the engine first of all its covers. The first bolt comes out, and almost as if in a trance Sam stands up and heads back to the tool chest. "Bins. Need bins. Sort bolts and headers, different bins..." It's in the same sort of voice that he answers Kaydin, as if he's a computer multitasking and running on all cores for the first time in years. "Partially expressed mutagenic, technopath. Shadow needs a new battery, it's not talking to me." And then he doubles back, snatching another plastic tub. "Sparkplugs."

    The lower covers come off, bolt by bolt, using significant force on any that refuse to budge with a muttering of 'I wasn't asking, you...' which often continues in a different language depending on the severity of the invective required. Engine head covers are next, until the cylinders and the crankshaft are visible from above and below.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty would probably be a little disappointed at herself that she manages the adult look for Kaydin that she does. The girl only just turned 21 herself. Yet any mother looking at her child who just expressed something crazy would be proud of Kitty's expression.

"No, Kaydin. I've met Batman. He saved quite a number of lives from here within the school. He also blew up a Sentinel that was chasing me one time. He is NOT keen on others coming into Gotham and doing vigilante work. Not at all," she tells him in a very serious sounding voice.

Kitty glances back, seeing the progress that Samuel-Bean is already making. At one point she grabs a rag and tosses over to him when he needs to clean his hands. But otherwise she hangs back and lets him do all the work himself.

Kaydin LeGraize has posed:
    "I seriously need to hang out here more often. Seems like everyone here meets heroes on the daily. I was lucky to even glance at stark as he was passing to meet the professor." Kaydin says as he looks to the kid. "So your a technopath...can you make a tardis?" He asks curiously.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Rag? Ooh, rag, just as he needed it. Despite the oil having escaped from the cracked oil pan a while back, enough is still tacked on that it's making a mess of his hands, and a rag is much better than his hoodie or forehead. "A what?!" Yup, Bean reckons he might have to strip the engine regardless, given that the crankshaft seems to have seized up... Ooh, transmission might be faulty! Off comes the cover plate... "Hunting in someone else's patch is a good way to make a target out of yourself. Always stick to the mission profile, do not engage local vigilantes except in case of violation of directive three to five." Say what?

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde crosses her arms as she sits on the stool and looks over to Kaydin. "Captain America was just here last night as well," she tells him. "We have been working closely with the Avengers. But, and I'm really serious, Kaydin, it would be a lousy way for us to repay Batman after he saved the lives of a dozen of us, to go traipse in his backyard like that. So please, don't," she tells him.

Kitty looks back over to Samuel, watching what he's doing. She pulls out her phone to check something. She taps off a return message and then puts it away. Her phone is as heavily secured as you will find on the planet, should anyone capable try to connect to it.

Kaydin LeGraize has posed:
    "I keep missing everyone." Kaydin says as he groans. "Fine then I wont go to gotham." Kaydin says as he sighs and looks to Samuel. "A Tardis. a time machine spaceship thingy that the doctor uses to go through time and space...Wait are you another one of those kids who were trained to be a super weapon and have no idea of any pop culture? What is it with mutants and being brainwashed as weapons."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The wrenches stop. The last bolt falls into its tub with an oddly muted clatter, and Bean's head seems to revolve almost out of its own accord toward Kaydin. "Yes."

    And just as suddenly as the work stopped, it starts again, with just a bit more urgency than before. Few people would know how close a call that was.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty winces at the question from Kaydin before it has even been asked. She doesn't say anything though, letting Samuel handle the matter himself. And handle it well he seems to.

Kitty rises from the stool. "Good luck with the bike. When you get it working, and ALek too, we can goo for a ride together," she offers. Kitty pats Daisy, her 1965 Vespa scooter, on the way past it.

"I should go get these into water. Thank you Kaydin. But, no, you still need to follow the same policies when away from the school. Scott did just relax them a bit," she points out.

Kaydin LeGraize has posed:
    Kaydin looks to Samuel and he looks to him working. "I am sorry if I seemed to be a jerk. It is terrible to be used by the people your supposed to trust." He says as he watches him. "If you want to talk about it, you can talk to me." He says as he offers a wrench and waits for samuel to react to him.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Ah, just the torque wrench Bean needed! The sound of ratchets rings through the garage, and the gearbox assembly comes free. Out falls the pressure plate, cracked and rusted halfway to perdition. "Well, that's a problem."

    Rust, it seems, is the leitmotif of the entire restoration project. And rust is an enemy that would have to be fought from this point onwards. And how do you deal with an enemy that is constant, persistent and so very ubiquitous? Sam stares at a bolt held between his fingers, hears the words 'Water' and 'talk', which in his mind translates almost immediately to 'communicate', and the idea forms then and there. With a grin, he plinks the bolt back into the tub and stands up suddenly, looking at Kaydin. "You're a genius! We have a chemistry lab, nickel isn't that expensive, I can plate everything. Get rid of the rust and proof it at the same time." The tubs get arranged, and the teenager hurries off with half of them, straight back towards the mansion.

    What a weirdo, right?