(XLIV) WarFrame

August pulled off the sheet, revealing an armor stand with a black bodysuit displayed. Small silver lines ran along the suit, accentuating where each muscle would be if worn. Jackson stepped closer, admiring the craftsmanship in awe; he noticed that the small silver lines were actually tiny tubes flowing with a silvery liquid.

Jackson ran his hand up one arm, examining it closely, smiling softly at how beautiful the hexagonal design was. He placed his hand down and grabbed the sleeve, pulling it upward, observing as the line disappeared into a tube attached directly above the shoulder blades. A similar line ran all the way to another point just below the elbows, which connected to a second tube. This created a continuous pathway leading straight to two pouches hidden near the small of the back of the suit.

"Check this out!" August exclaimed, hitting the emblem on the chest as the WarFrame ejected from the bodysuit. A metallic exoskeleton unfolded along the suit. Immediately metallic scales began flowing out of the frame, covering the entire bodysuit.

Clusters of gears emerged from his thighs, abdomen, chest, shoulders, hands, and feet, spinning as metallic plates appeared across crucial points on the bodysuit.

Metallic plates extended across the head and wrapped underneath the mannequin's chin as a visor made entirely from glass extended past the faceplate, giving 360° vision. The helmet also folded inward around the neck, sealing itself. Finally, two additional large black horns appeared in the center of the helm atop his forehead, jutting outward and ending just above his eyes.

Large thick metallic pauldrons appeared from the gears on the shoulders and had a silver ring circling them like an arrowhead. The gauntlets grew larger, growing into thick metal gloves.

The gears on the chest shifted positions, revealing six liquid-like metallic plates that extended downward to meet near his waist, spreading around the entire chest, stomach, and back.

On the small of the mannequin's back, a small tail with several rings attached formed, coiling down to the ground while four small bat-like metallic wings extended out diagonally toward the ground from the scapula across the upper back.

A large gear spun around the abdomen as a metallic oval appeared while a thick leather belt wrapped around the waist, connecting to the buckle as several metallic tassels popped open diagonally along either side from the waistline and down the back of his legs, extending four inches outward, with each click.

The legs were changed into tight-fitting black material adorned with silver trim along the edges, hundreds of interlocking chains cascading around the outer edges of the legs as gears churned out metallic plates over them.

The feet of the bodysuit became thick soles covered by black leather straps overtop red ones wrapping the lower section of his calves before multiple gears unraveled a set of knee-high armored thigh armored plate boots.

Across the mannequin, the metallic pieces turned black with small hexagonal scales and small silver trim formed between each hexagon and the rivets. From the center of the gear clusters around the mannequin's body, Hollow Skulls appeared in various sizes and shapes, covering the gears while accentuating the demonic look of the WarFrame.

"Not bad, eh?" Amelia grinned pridefully while Jackson stood in awe at the masterpiece in front of him. August smirked, rubbing his nose with his finger before tapping the chest, converting the WarFrame back into only the bodysuit and removing it from the mannequin.

"Here, you can put it on in the back!" He said, handing the bodysuit to Jackson, "Don't worry about the armor popping out suddenly; the chest tap is the mannequin, not the bodysuit."

Jackson nodded, sighing in relief as he grabbed the case with the jewelry, stepped into the back room, and quickly changed, putting the bodysuit on naked, returning his current and new jewelry before putting on his pants, shirt, jacket, and boots back on.

He returned to the storefront, adjusting his hands, which were the only indication that he was actually wearing the WarFrame, exclaiming, "It's way more comfortable than it looks! It doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything!"

"Heh, what second-rate artisans do you take us for? We're not just Archimedes in name, you know!" Amelia scoffed, bursting into laughter alongside August as he smacked Jackson's shoulder.

"..." Jackson was silent as he was at a loss for words while he looked at his hands. The older man grabbed the intricately designed black and silver scabbards for the Twin Moons and held them out to him.

White and gold ribbons fell to the ground where the scimitars were nestled in their sheaths along with long, sturdy, black and silver twisted leather strings.

Jackson held out his hands, taking the leather rope and wrapping it around his waist, tying them off as both blades rested on each side of his hips.

"You've read the Skillbooks, correct?" Amelia asked, stepping forward and placing her hands on his wrists, stopping him from removing the weapons.

"Skimmed through it a few times and image trained..." Jackson muttered, looking away.

"Promise me you will not deploy your WarFrame nor use the Twin Moons until you have mastered their respective Skillbooks!" She sternly replied, wagging her finger in his face, "I didn't spend all this time creating these beauties only for you to go and kill yourself!"

Jackson raised both hands in defeat, leaning back, "Okay! Okay! I promise! I promise!" August laughed at the young man, walking toward a weapon's rack, pulling two plain swords off and grabbing two basic scabbards, handing them to him.

"Good!" Amelia smiled, placing her hand over her heart; the contract was fulfilled, and glittering sparkles floated between her fingers from her chest, soothing every part of her body, "Now! Since I'm no longer part of your little harem, get out of my shop!"

"Harem..?" Jackson muttered, raising his eyebrow in confusion as the woman began pushing him on the back, kicking him out of her shop, and slamming the door behind him.

He sighed, shaking his head, strapping the two scabbards across his chest and staring up to God's Tower in the distance, "I guess it's time I dealt with Viktoria and finished things with The Jackal..."