Korvus and Wade: Super Suit

[x-korvus.livejournal.com]

Korvus and Wade turn scrap from the Impala into a few pieces of composite armor

Wade looked at the scrap metal from the Impala they were restoring and then back toward Korvus, tipping his head to the side a little. "Well, most of this stuff should work for parts of the suit, given the design you showed me. Where do you want to start?"

"I believe we should begin with the belt. It will be the anchor for Nandaki's sheath and then we can lace the pauldron through the top to create a structure to support the weight of the hilt." Korvus was wiping his hands free of grease with a shop rag. Cleaning and milling a number of the parts had been messy. "I have purchased weight lifting support shirts already. I am incapable of weaving additional materials into a shirt's fabric."

"Sounds like a plan," Wade said, grinning. This was very different from restoring a car - he'd mocked up sheathes and things for himself when he was in tight spots, but nothing that was going to wind up being this finished.

Korvus laid out a smooth circular piece of steel. He had diligently polished it and rounded the edges. He set a seat belt buckle which had been stripped of it's housing and strips of padded leather that used to be part of the design of the seats within reach."I would like to use this part of the bumper I salvaged and hammered out as the buckle. It will add some protection to my midsection. My bones are quite durable but an abdomen does not contain any bones."

"Nope," Wade agreed, considering the younger man for a long moment. "The pauldron's good for shoulder padding and protection - you'll want something for the rest of your arm. Something like a gauntlet. I can work on that over here."

"I appreciate your insight." Korvus said with a nod and smile in agreement.

"No problem," Wade said, grinning. "It's not every day I get to put together a gauntlet." He wasn't a super genius or anything, but he figured since the gauntlet itself wouldn't be weight bearing, just meant more for literal protection from other blades or weaponry, he only needed something that could handle Korvus' particular level of strength when he flexed his wrist and hand. "What can that sword of yours do - besides break windows."

Korvus laughed softly. "To me it weighs barely more than a feather... I can call it." He thought for a moment. "It has projected enough force to knock me off my feet. I believe it may be resistant to energy in some way, as well. We are still testing its limits."

"An energy resistant, telepathic-esque sword of great size that's probably too heavy for most other people to lift," Wade said, nodding as he set to work picking out pieces that he could use for the gauntlet. "I'd like to see you practice some time."

"Perhaps that can be arranged. I have no doubt that Jean will be looking for an individual to help test the capabilities of the Nandaki whom is not likely to be permanently damaged by it." Korvus offered helpfully.

Chuckling, Wade shook his head. "Permanent damage - yeah, that'd be a downer." Tucking a spare rag into his pocket, he took his materials a little bit further down the bench and set to work with a pair of pliers, a hammer, and a soldering iron. His interest in the history of warfare was coming in handy in odd ways these days, but he couldn't say that bothered him. At the very least, he could get working prototype made and maybe hand that off to someone who could make it shiny and unbreakable or something.

Korvus stepped around to the other side of the bench, at the opposite corner, as he worked. He was more easily able to look at Wade as they spoke. "You are one of the more resilient residents, are you not?" Instead of using a hammer he simply bent a few metal pieces across the edge of the bench by hand to prepare the belt for assembly.

"Well, I'll generally get back up if I get knocked down," Wade said, still quirking a smile. "I can take hits others can't, but it'll still do damage. I just heal it faster. Not as fast as some." And now he had "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba stuck in his head.

"If you decide it is appropriate, I will eventually need another swordsman to compete against so that I may learn how to effectively use a blade of such scale." Korvus picked up a welding mask and set it atop his head before lighting and preparing a blow torch.

"I can let you use me as a target, no problem," Wade said, bending over his work for a moment so he could focus on the soldering. "But I don't actually know how to use a sword. Just knives. My roommate, Clarice though - she's got a thing for swords. You could probably see if she can help you with it. Or I dunno. I can learn the basics?" He smiled a little, leaning away from the soldering to let it cool for a moment. "Never too old to learn something new and interesting."

"That would not be necessary. I am sure the training facilities here can accommodate me in some fashion." Korvus spoke between moments of welding. He didn't want to compel Wade to learn something he might not have any interest in or to spar with a more experienced swordsman with a very special blade. It didn't seem fair.

"What do you think?" With a smile, Korvus pulled the belt about his waist and fastened it. Despite being made of scrap from the Impala it had a semi-professional appearance and polish to it.

"Nice," Wade said, nodding his appreciation of the younger man's work. He shifted the framework he'd made for the gauntlet until it was resting over his hand and wrist, then tipped his head to the side as he removed it and continued working. "I'll introduce you to Clarice. She likes knives. And David Bowie. But it's the sword thing I think'll be most helpful for you."

"Does her mutation make her more resilient than is conventional?" Korvus began to very carefully and meticulously put a curve into one of the slotted seat guide rails. "Nandaki is now more dangerous than ever."

"Mm..." Wade paused in his soldering and looked up at the younger man. "She's a teleporter, but I'm not sure she's any more durable. I'll ask."

Korvus looked back as Wade thought, then nodded. "I will defer to the experts on a suitable sparring partner." He looked back to the rail and, once it was gently curved, he checked the fit of the guide before preparing to wield it to the underside of the pauldron so it would easily rotate with his arm.

Nodding, the older man went back to putting the gauntlet together. "When you finish what you're doing, come over here so I can make sure this is the right size for you."

Before starting the blowtorch, Korvus moved over and offered his hand across the table. "It is a pleasure to work on fabricating what is essentially archaic armor." He mused.

"It is," Wade said, making sure the metal wasn't hot any longer before placing the skeleton gauntlet on Korvus' hand and wrist. "This is way more precise than what I do most of the time." Unless he was working on a new set of lockpicks, but that was neither here nor there. It was a different application, one that allowed him to tinker with something new.

"It is. I appreciate the challenge of being tasked to execute intricate, superior craftsmanship." Korvus offered as he looked over the gauntlet's frame. "And you have done well."

Cocking an eyebrow, Wade paused and then laughed a little. "Thanks, I try." Especially if the kid was actually going to be putting this to use.

"You succeed." Korvus said while tilting his head. He didn't understand the response.

Taking the gauntlet, such as it was, off of Korvus' wrist and hand, Wade chuckled again. "Are you going to make a back plate for your suit? The front looks pretty awesome. And I'm nowhere near finished with this hand piece."

"Only to cover the kidneys. I fear any more would prevent free movement and Kalari Payat requires it." Korvus returned to his work after smiling to Wade. "I look forward to wearing this, very much."

Wade grinned. "Yeah, it'll be pretty sweet once it's assembled and fitted." And once he'd made sure the gauntlet was serviceable. He wasn't exactly sure that that scrap parts from the Impala were going to live up to the dexterity threshold Korvus was going to need, but that was neither here nor there for the moment. A working model was important and, from there, improvements could always be made.