15929/But Not As Maneuverable As Lockheed

But Not As Maneuverable As Lockheed
Date of Scene:	24 September 2023
Location:	Blackbird Hangar
Synopsis:	Scott comes by as Kitty is cleaning up after some Blackbird upgrades, and they go over training ideas.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Scott Summers

---

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Evening finds Kitty down in the Blackbird hangar. She's completed the maintenance work that she was about, but there are tools and parts scattered about the hangar around the stealth aircraft.

Kitty's hands end up on her hips as she looks around at all. She lets out a sigh. "Ok, boy," she says to Lockheed. "You zoom all over and bring them and I'll get them put away. And then cheesy poofs after. Deal?"

Lockheed gives a few flaps of his wings, lifting into the air. That must mean it's a deal. Kitty goes over to one of the big toolboxes and starts pointing or verbally guiding Lockheed to the tools that need to be retrieved and moved into it. He zooms around, picking up a big power wrench that some might think he couldn't lift, though he can lift a human when needed. He flies it over to Kitty, hovering as he hands it off, and she gets it stowed in its spot.

Scott Summers has posed:
Exiting Forge's workshop, Scott's attention is downwards -- on his hands. He has a bleached cloth that was formerly a brighter shade of red, and is using it to clean his palms and some of the fingers of his left hand. He'd gone into that workshop with some questions, and got involved in a bit more than he'd expected. Still, it's time very well spent: Scott appreciates and values getting time in with different members of the team and group. It's part of the requirement as a leader: to have these one-on-ones and check-ins.

Scott's dressed appropriate to work in the garages and hangars, having done some of his own personal vehicle maitenance earlier. Scott comes around the corner, and ducks automatically as a zooming Lockheed goes streaking by.

"Working your assistant to the bone, I see," Scott observes, deadpan, though there's a vague sense of amusement underneath it. Those that don't know him well may be likely to take that as entirely serious in tone, as Scott can be a little hard to read at times. He nods towards the aircraft, "What's the result of the current maitenance check? Any repairs needed?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Lockheed is an extremely agile flyer, doing a hairpin turn and grabbing up another tool, his momentum gliding him over to Kitty where she retrieves it and stows it in the case.

"Hey Scott. Yeah, he's helping me clean up. It took bribery though. He's just been sitting and watching me work," she says with a grin.

Kitty glances over to the Blackbird and says, "I spent some time working on the sensors, replaced a circuit board with one I designed that speed up processing. Give us an extra half a second to a second identifying other planes, missiles, stuff like that," she says. "All the tests went well. We can do an aerial check tomorrow evening if I can get Rogue or someone to play missile. Or we could shadow some Air Force planes or something."

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott stops nearby, the slow cleaning of his left hand is now just an idle movement, not actually for cleaning purposes anymore. His full attention is on Kitty's report, as he listens to her explanation. There's never of sense of Scott phoning it in or not caring: he always gives his focus like this.

"Half a second is a lot. Well done," Scott says, simply. And he does mean it; compliments require actual results! "Let's put that late tomorrow evening. I have at least two possible recruitments tomorrow. I don't expect needing the Blackbird, but I want to keep to our consistent mission plans, not make exceptions even if it seems fine, since we have not needed it on the last five recruitments." Scott, Mr. By the Book, in action.

"If you have time, I could use another hand with this recruitment, by the way," Scott adds. He heads to the shop sink, then, depositing his towel in the hamper and rolling sleeves up towards elbow.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"Sure thing," Kitty replies as to helping with recruiting another student for the school. She points over to a circuit board which Lockheed swoops down on and brings to her. Rather than putting it away right away, she sits looking at it for a little bit before grabbing a pen and scribbling a note on a tag, then putting it on it. It probably reads something about the component is fine if it is needed in a pinch, but it was replaced with a better version.

That goes into a rack that holds spare parts for the plane. "How's everything else going?" she asks Scott as she turns back to pick out what to put away next. She points to a case that holds a soldering kit, and waits while Lockheed fetches it.

Scott Summers has posed:
"Appreciate it. It is two at once, which is a little unusual, so I'd like twice the staff," Scott explains smoothly, on the topic of recruitment. "As though I trust our team, not everyone gets along right away," Scott chuckles, though his humor is very dry. It's not really funny, as it brings up how dangerous it CAN be when certain personalities really clash, when teen powers get involved.

Scott takes the next question as more proud, not about him personally. "The new training modules in the Danger Room related to ambushes have been getting reasonably high scores. Though you tested high, I think you can do even better, you have it in you," Scott says, tone encouraging, not negative. "Break your own score by maybe... five points?" Scott asks, with a brief, but real smile.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"What I need to do," Kitty says in the middle of stowing another piece of equipment, "Is to refresh myself a bit on phasing when I'm startled. It's tough to learn to do what amounts to unconsciously. I feel like I'm losing a little bit compared to how good I was at it, back... oh, geez, don't think I've trained that since I was fifteen or sixteen? So it's been awhile."

Kitty grabs a rag and wipes at her hands, there having been a bit of oil on the last tool, though intentional to keep it from degrading. "I think last time Logan and everyone else used to try to scare the crap out of me, jumping out all the time so I was startled unexpectedly and could work on it."

Scott Summers has posed:
"That sounds more like it might add to stress and anxiety than actually be an effective training mechanism," Scott observes. He's finished washing up, and comes back over, to lean against one of the work tables. He's out of the way of the progression of tools and items, but still nearby and conversational. He crosses his arms loosely, thoughtfully.

"Yes, training is important, but so is feeling safe and able to relax properly in your own home." Scott taps his fingers a little on one bicep. "But improving your reaction time overall would help with startled, too. Does that focus feel like it might benefit you?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"Oh, hugely stressful. But tough to train to phase if I hear a gunshot or an explosion or someone rushes around a corner suddenly, unless I actually have those things happening. Though the Professor and Jean or Betsy could probably help, not quite sure I want them putting triggers in my head," Kitty says. She stows more equipment and tools while they talk.

Lockheed is doing an excellent job scouring the hangar and bringing the items to Kitty, and there isn't much left to do. She locks up a tool case and slides it back on the rack where it is kept.

"It could help some. I mean an explosion is an explosion, if I'm anywhere close to it and don't know it's going to happen, not much I can do. Or a bullet for that matter," Kitty replies giving a small shrug. "I don't know, I could whip up something in the Danger Room, but knowing anytime I'm in there it might toss something at me, I mean, I kind of need the unexpected surprises, you know?"

Scott Summers has posed:
"Mental triggers have other problems. I think those are... an unreliable 'easy way' out. Shortcuts never work as well as really putting in the work," Scott says. Of course he'd think that, as the hard worker. Though him being dedicated doesn't make him wrong. Just makes him annoying to some people, even if the intention is a good one.

"I think... that training to respond to certain things is the best path, and that it will carry over into 'unexpected' situations. For example, if you train yourself to respond to an series of explosions that are randomly happening in training ... it will still benefit you later, when an explosion happens elsewhere, to have practiced that response."

Scott pauses a moment, to add, "My required reaction time practice had to do with losing my visor. I have to react immediately, to not harm anyone. Practicing that loss in a safe place has absolutely helped in other locations--- your body remembers."