Ironclad
Corsairs
Mason Rictus
Posts: 197
|
Post by Ironclad on Apr 3, 2009 23:56:48 GMT -5
Stretching his arms back, Mason walked in the garage, freshly showered from his morning workout and taking some time to work on his car. This is the place where he could usually be found, that or the weapons room that he got permission to access from the staff. Today he wanted to finish the work he'd been doing on the engine of his car. His mint condition Camero Z28 was his pride and joy. He worked his ass off at the garage in town for almost three years to afford the car, and then he put a number of hours working on the car itself to sup it up to his liking. Mason had never been more proud of his car than right now. Thanks to TuneUP, he completely revamped the engine, turning the original V8 engine into an aluminum quad turbo W16 and gave him a seven speed DSG transmission. All they had to do was finish the displacement and Mason would own probably the fastest car in the state that wasn't a professional racing car.
The garage for once was empty, which was a rare occurrence but he figured it was still really early and he knew Aideen had class today and so did TuneUP so they'd probably be in later. Flicking on the radio, a smirk came over Mason's face at the blaring sounds of Nine Inch Nails. He knew that Aideen was probably the last person to mess with the radio, this was her thing. He left it anyways and went to work on his car, popping the hood open. Something about the garage was calming, sort of a place to leave your problems out of the place and to just come in and relax. Thats probably why he liked spending so much time there.
Mason walked to the cooler he bought with Aideen and opened it with his copy of the key. That's where the two of them kept their beer and drinks so no one all can get to it. Mason used to just keep them in the fridge until he realized that the younger kids were swiping their beer. They chipped in and bought a cooler with a lock and numerical code that they installed. He grabbed a McSorely's and popped the cap off on the edge of the brick shelf. Mason took a long swig and looked around at all the cars in the large garage. There was Cyclops' totally supped up car, his Camero, Rumble's Ferrari, Inflict's van, Ariel's Mustang Cobra that she was almost finished paying off, some working projects, Onyx's bike, Wolverine's Harley, and Aideen's Ninja.
The cars there were pretty sweet, though only few of the owners actually came in to perform regular maintenance on them. Mason often saw Cyclops in here with TuneUP and his girl, along with Aideen and Wolverine. Once in awhile Ariel came in to join them with Onyx, but otherwise there was just a couple of people that spent their time there. Most of the time it was just Mason, Aideen, and TuneUP. Aideen kept her bike in supreme maintenance just as Mason did with his car. He had to admire her for that, he knew she earned her bike on the streets and she wasn't letting it go. Mason found that he had a lot more in common with the firebender than he initially expected.
They were both in the racing scene, addicted to the adrenaline rush and danger. They both also know their way around the world of underground racing. Mason grew up in Detroit, to this day still an active participant in the underground racing world. The past couple of years, he'd been burning rubber up in Syracuse and recently in Boston through Aideen. She had some major connections and it was a hell of a lot easier to get there, but more risky. He knew it would be really bad if he ever got caught. Lately Boston PD had been cracking down, but Mason worked under the radar for years and knew it well. He planned on going back to Boston for the weekend, taking Aideen with him this time. She only went with him once and seemed hesitant, but he wanted to see her race and it would be good for him to have her to add to his reputation in the underground.
He flicked on the overhead lights and took another sip of the McSorely's. Mason grabbed a rag and his tools and began to work on his engine. He wanted it ready for the weekend, he needed the cash and he missed the rush. As he worked, problems left his mind and he relaxed, entertaining the idea of how much effort would be needed to get Tracy to come along too. It wasn't her scene and he didn't know if she'd go for it, but it'd feel good for him to go there with his gorgeous girl on his arm. Scenario's ran through Mason's mind as he worked systematically on his car.
|
|
|
Post by Cyclops on Apr 5, 2009 13:03:02 GMT -5
A sound curled the corners of his emerging smile. Music, heh...somebody's beaten me to the shop. Sounds like Ember, but she's in class with Beast. It's gotta be Ironclad. As he rounded the corner of the building and looked in through the opened garage door he saw his expectations met. "Well now, up to it early enough I see. You're almost finished with that monster aren't you?"
Scott was impressed with his Captain. Kurt had told him he would be, and thinking back to when he almost put Hotwire into the position he remembered. There was something about the rugged individualist that Scott didn't like, when he realized it was Mason's similarity to Logan he knew that he had been holding a personal bias against the teen. He also realized that if he didn't do something to alter the course of the boy's life that he just might wind up as miserable and self hating as Wolverine.
The talent he had with his mutant ability was not at issue. His powers were innate and Scott wondered if there was much else he could have learned when he brought him into the Corsairs, at least about his powers. He knew though that the young man had quite a lot to learn about teamwork. The challenge wouldn't be in directing others, since Ironclad had a sort of natural leadership quality much like himself, Cyclops had noted. The real challenge for the boy was in learning to care about others, he was thankful now that he had put him to it.
He walked into the garage with his thermos tucked under his arm and placed it down on the workstation where he always did. Reaching up he took his mug down from the shelf and blew into it to clear out the dust and thus deem it 'clean', not that any water had been used to wash it. In fact no liquid which wasn't coffee had touched it in some time. He poured a hot black cupful and held it between both hands as he leaned back and inhaled the robust aroma.
|
|
Ironclad
Corsairs
Mason Rictus
Posts: 197
|
Post by Ironclad on Apr 5, 2009 15:20:00 GMT -5
At the sound of his mentor's face, Mason looked off and his lips twitched to a slight smile. "Oh yea, the engine is gonna run like a beauty. We finished the transmission yesterday before practice. I got a seven speed DSG now. Just gonna finish the displacement and I'm gonna own the fastest car on the East Coast," he said and gave his car a proud pat. "That TuneUP is a damn godsend," Mason added and adjusted one of the valves.
Despite what many people initially thought, Mason really liked Cyclops. They had a rocky start in a way, a sort of bias on both ends with Ironclad resenting him for letting Emma come in with her Hellions and the whole thing with Jean going off. He liked her a lot too and really took it hard when she died. A lot had changed since then though, Mason's attitude for one. He came to respect and even like Emma a lot and him and Cyclops came to their own type of understanding.
At this point in his life, Cyclops had become Mason's mentor, taking the place of a responsible adult in his life that gave him a sense of structure and pointed him in a direction while giving him the free rein to come to his own conclusions on what's right and wrong. Nowadays, Mason was really comfortable with his mentor, the two of them sharing a beer often as they worked in the garage or discussed issues regarding the team in the Captains meetings that were held once every two weeks. The tension that started out with the two of them disappeared and it was a rather comfortable relationship at this point.
"Gonna be ready by the weekend. I'm gonna take 'im out to Boston," Mason said having a sip of the beer. He glanced at Cyclops briefly before talking again, just to see a reaction. "Taking Aideen with me, probably Trace too. We'd be back Sunday night," he said plainly. Mason would never let anything happen to those two girls while he was around, but he knew that its better to come clean with stuff like this that randomly disappearing like he used to do. That and he knew that Aideen was Cyclops' kid and he looked at things slightly differently when it came to her. It wasn't anything that was said out loud, but the bond with the two of them after Limbo was apparent to anyone, especially his own team that knew their leader very well.
The song changed to some Tool song that Mason recognized, making him drum his fingers to the side to the beat. He was itching to take his car out, spike that adrenaline rush and see how fast he could go, hell even to feel the thrill and rush of a race. He wanted Aideen with him to get him into the Boston underground properly and to see what she could do. Mason saw her ride and she was as risky as him when she sped off on her ninja, making tight turns at dangerous speeds and maneuvering herself as a true rider. He also was curious about her world there and how she worked in it, but that was natural since it was one of the few aspects he knew about her life for sure and he wanted to explore it. Mason wanted Tracy with him for the simple reason that she was his girl and he wanted to be out with her. He wouldn't force her in that world, but he wanted her to see what he was up to all those weekends he used to disappear without so much as a goodbye and then come back promptly either Sunday night or Monday morning. Plus he had a feeling she might dig it if she gave it a chance.
|
|
|
Post by Cyclops on Apr 5, 2009 17:56:04 GMT -5
"TuneUp is sure something else...he'll probably give Forge and Tony Stark a run for their money in a couple years. It's a good thing what you're doing with him too. I wanted to thank you for giving him an outlet and challenging him." He stepped over to look under the hood with Mason at his pride and joy.
"But I want to caution you now. I don't want the boy to feel like he's being taken advantage of, so you need to somehow give him something back...when the time is right, and he lets you know what he needs make sure you back him up." he looked in the engine bay and noted the exactness of it all, the precision.
It was an amazing thing since some of the base components of the engine and drive-train were completely foreign to one another and without TuneUp they would have ordinarily been absolutely incompatible. "That young man has an incredible gift." He looked over at Ironclad to see the way his Corsair stared at the engine with a fire in his eyes.
"I know what you get yourself into on these weekend excursions...I wouldn't be worth my weight as a Headmaster if I wasn't as invested in all of my students lives. I'm no dummy Mason, and being with the worlds predominant telepath also doesn't hurt...this car is for racing." He kept his eyes trained on Mason's expression.
From behind the ruby quartz lenses of his other pair of glasses, his favored pair having been misplaced, he saw the look on his charges face. "Like the other two before this one...the one that mysteriously went missing, lost to a fellow in Brooklyn was it? And the one that you blew the engine in, forgot to change the oil my ass."
He stood up and folded his arms. "I want you to be careful with those ladies...I could put my foot down and say no- restrict your weekend liberty, or take the team out in the field on some extended exercise...but I respect that you are a grown man and even though you still attend classes and live here that if you are going to fulfill any sort of heroic destiny that you must find your own way in this world." He walked back to his own vehicle and popped the hood "But so help me Ironclad, if anything happens to them I will hold you responsible."
|
|
Ironclad
Corsairs
Mason Rictus
Posts: 197
|
Post by Ironclad on Apr 5, 2009 20:03:15 GMT -5
Mason met Cyclops gaze evenly and didn't waver or shy away, his expression remaining stoic as ever. He looked down briefly at his engine and moved in to adjust the valve he'd been trying to get in the right position. "I know you ain't blind Cyclops, neither am I. I figured you knew about it, hell I didn't miss the knowing looks you gave me or the fact that you always told me to watch my back if you thought I was just going for a drive in the country," he said still looking at his engine, though glancing up at his team leader once in awhile to drive his point home.
"TuneUp is a good kid, hell a lot better than I was at his age. I always pay back any debts I have. I don't let Burns annoy the kid and I make sure he keeps outta trouble. A lotta the kids here got some major problems, but not that kid. He's one of the few here that really is a good kid, and I want him to stay like that. Keeping an eye on him and helping him out is a small price to pay to keep him on that road and I'll do what I can," Mason using the rag to wipe his hands before grabbing his beer again. Mason can recognize good character, and thats what he saw in TuneUP. He didn't want the kid to go through what he went through. Constant fights with older students and not finding his place because he trusted no one.
"Just like I'll do anything to keep Trace and Aideen safe. I always looked out for Tracy, its been like that for years. Aideen can take care of herself, but that don't stop me from keeping an eye out on her." Mason threw the rag on the nearby table in frustration and leaned his hands on the car. "I gotta get her away for the weekend, away from Rumble's ass. I'm sick of that shit with him," Mason said running a hand across his head through frustration. "She shouldn't have to take that, and I can't stand that there ain't anything I can do about it. I'm not by her every damn second, she likes to be alone. And he knows that and takes every damn opportunity to get her alone," he said in a low angry voice as he tried to control his temper. He stared ahead at hood of the car for a moment.
"I don't know a lot about Aideen, but I know she didn't have it easy. I gotta get her away from him for a little while, cause she just keeps going further and further away from us," Mason added in a softer voice. Despite what people thought about his attitude towards his team, he really cared about them. He was the one who bailed Kelly out of trouble that was a magnet to him, the one who made sure Tracy knew how to defend herself if ever needed. Mason taught Mato some close quarter combat and was the one who got Ariel to keep control of her temper. When Aideen came in, he found a friend in her and worked for her trust. He held her friendship closely, finding a kindred spirit of sorts and it pained him to see her like this.
"You know Wolverine told us something the other day after that whole thing in gym. He told us not to let that waste of space taint us. He had a point, cause I don't think I ever seen any of us on the edge like this. I wanna take my glock out and put one right in his head for everything he did to her, but I'm not going down that road, not now," Mason said knowing that there was a point in time where he was heading down that road. "I don't know what else to do about it, but if I can get her away from it even for a little while, I'll do it." He grabbed the rag and tried to get back to his work.
|
|
|
Post by Cyclops on Apr 5, 2009 22:00:33 GMT -5
"I know you, I know how you are...I just say what I say sometimes to remind you that I'm still here, still looking out for you and everyone else. To let you know that I care enough to put my foot in your ass if you mess up, and to hold you to every lesson ever learned- or at least every one I ever taught you, and if you haven't learned the lesson by now to make you wish you had."
He picked up a torque wrench and checked the setting on it to make sure it was correct for his needs. "As for this ongoing issue with Rumble, I think it's a great idea to get Ember some space from the guy. He is an issue I would rather be done dealing with, however I hesitate to do what ultimately will need to be done. I'm no judge, and a jury of one is hardly enough to sentence...but I like your idea, so make sure you don't let anyone else know where you're going. Roger that?"
It was the best he could do. He knew that it would come down to something severe one day for Brock. He would either cut and run from the school and every bit of compassion and humanity that was ever thrust upon him. Attached as it was with such lofty words and grandiose expression. Stapled to his hide, in some vain attempt to cover up for what he had been made into by the world and his experiences...and his lack of an actual grasp on reality, all of which Emma had nurtured.
She had confessed to Scott having cultivated her Hellions, like vicious little crops, molding them and shaping their natures. She told him of how she had begun what she now regretted, and yet on some level Cyclops knew she didn't regret what she had made these children into. The Hellions were beyond her now. They had grown larger than her expectations, and some had found themselves in spite of it all standing on the fringes of morality and right. Rumble however, was not amongst that group. Scott knew the depth of his villainy had yet to even be glimpsed, the veneer of normalcy he cover his twisted spirit with yet to be scratched.
"Great practice last night by the way. I was wondering if you had any observations you wanted to share." Scott had done his regular debrief, but as he liked to get feedback from his team from time to time, and found this a great time for Mason to share without anyone listening in, he decided to pick his brain. "Of course this is all off the record."
|
|
Ironclad
Corsairs
Mason Rictus
Posts: 197
|
Post by Ironclad on Apr 6, 2009 1:17:38 GMT -5
Mason moved in to check on the carburetor that he and TuneUP just finished earlier on that week. He definitely had a decked out custom made engine like never before seen. "Off the record huh?" he said out loud not expecting an answer. "The jungle setting isn't my favorite, but you know me I ain't a nature kinda guy," he started, his mind going through the tapes that they watched after practice last night. "On the record I think everyone did a good job and we came a long way," Mason stated the general statement first because he was proud of his team.
"Off the record though, Burns impressed me. There are times I forget how useful his abilities actually are and yesterday I think was a reminder to everyone. That kid has the potential to turn this entire planets into a cookie, which would worry me if I think he would actually have the evil genius streak in him," he said with a slight laugh at the expense of his teammate who wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box.
He chugged the last of the beer and tossed it in the recycling bin they kept in the garage. "Reyes and Mato made a bit of a mess for us, but I get their situation. What choice did they really have with a giant shark stalking them? Reyes got weak after that, making her little but useless the rest of the mission. She packs a whole lot of power, but she needs to learn to harness it and not rely on impulse and use her head. Had she remembered an animals basic pressure points, she would have kept at least half her power and still paralyzed it," Mason said as the he remembered watching their incredible adventure there on the screen.
"Mato impressed me as well, starting that stampede saved our asses. He's really coming into himself and he's probably the most dedicated from the team other than Aideen to find out about his ability, which is really wild. He came through and saved our asses a couple of times now. Good call putting him with us," he said with a nod of approval to his mentor.
"As for Aideen, she kicks ass, thats nothing new. If on her own she probably would have gotten through the whole thing in half the time we did even if she was chased by dinosaurs. That was her problem, she's still seeing a team as a burden in some ways and I don't think she fully trusts us to get through it together as she does herself. It's not easy with everything going on with her but shes learning. Aideen's gotta realize that she doesn't have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders," Mason observed logically and freely, knowing it would stay between the two of them.
He walked over to the cooler to lock it up, but not before grabbing a gatorade out. "Tracy really came through in the end but had a rocky beginning. Her problem is the exact opposite of Aideen's, she needs to trust herself more. She trusts the rest of us cause she literally knows she can, but she doesn't have that trust in herself. She got with it towards the middle of this whole thing, yea but if this was something real world like we might not have been so lucky," Mason finished while walking back to work area. "Other than those we had a good run."
|
|
Hotwire
Corsairs
Ariel Reyes
Posts: 97
|
Post by Hotwire on Apr 27, 2009 18:06:05 GMT -5
Relieved that class was dismissed even though there were people who still hadn't presented, Ariel was more than happy to clean up her materials and get the hell out of class. She cheered herself up slightly by reminding herself of her plans for the upcoming weekend and decided to head over to the garage, where she had no doubt Mason and Cyclops would be.
She ran a hand through her hair as she walked in, deeply inhaling the smell of the garage as if it were fresh air. "Hey guys," Ariel said as she nodded to each of them and walked over to her car and smiled a little. She saw the slightest smudge on the fender and wiped it away with a nearby cloth, and tossed it back where she found it before leaning on a nearby wall. "How goes it with the cars?" she asked, before again remembering her agenda. "Hey Mase, can you see if my car is up for a longish drive?" she asked, then turning to Cyclops to say, "If it's cool and if there isn't anything planned for the whole team, mind if Mato and I go camping in the Catskills for the weekend? Especially after this class...hell, we need to get away from that...urgh!" she said, clenching a fist at the end of her speech, shaking her head while trying to remain calm. Ariel worried a bit that if either Mason or Cyclops found out she freaked in class that she may not be able to leave, so she tried to keep it cool. Ariel shook out her car keys and pulled up the remote for the garage door to open it to let in the bright sun and fresh air. She inhaled the spring air and felt a little calmer now that it felt a bit more open.
Cyclops and Mason didn't have to ask who she was talking about as it was pretty obvious, so she just let it hang in the air as she told herself Camping.. think of camping.. away from here...hopefully. "Yeah, so is it okay?" she asked, keeping away from the subject of Beast's class as she opened the door of her car, sticking the key in and turning it to see how much gas she had in her tank. It was good enough since she had filled it the last time she had went out, so she still had a full tank. She took the key out of the ignition and closed the door, looking at Cyclops for a hopeful approval since if Mason and Aideen were able to go up to Boston, there really wouldn't be anything team related to go on.
|
|