[Robin]

The world won’t end in a bang, but a whisper.



The words echoed through Robin’s head as she inspected the barrel of her rifle. It wasn’t a catastrophic failure of the firearm that was causing this, she had simply gotten behind on her maintenance. She had noticed her rounds were landing a hair off target. Normally this isn’t cause for alarm and would’ve been attributed to wind or ambient humidity. Hell, at 300 yards she could’ve been shooting through warmer patches of air and that would have enough of an effect to knock the trajectory loose just enough. But she knew better, she racked her mind for the last time she had sat down and cleaned her gun. A grimace spread across her face as she laid her eyes on the build up of residue in the barrel, it had been before she began her time here at the school.



And that was how she found herself in the Support Labs instead of shooting. She wasn’t about to ruin her living quarters with grease and grime and it would be a shame not to at least get a peek into what the support Curriculum was being taught. The bird considered this a two part mission split between additional intel on the school and cleaning her weapons, hopefully somewhere quiet and away from witnesses. She wasn’t going to breathe a word of this to the rest of the Flock and she could only pray that no one here found out just how negligent she had gotten.



She slipped into a quiet enough workshop and placed her rifle case on the workbench. As she collected her tools, she took a quick glance around the room. There was little of note, some pair of boots with way too many wires, some goggles with heat sinks plastered on, and what seemed the most out of place was just a glass beaker full of a liquid that couldn’t seem to sit still. If she hadn’t been aware of where she was, Robin would’ve assumed this was a movie set. Everything was outlandish, made with form in equal regards to function thus compromising both. It seemed like a perfectly good waste of resources that could be better used anywhere else besides in service to Heroes.



Then again, that could be said about nearly anything that Heroes got their hands on. They were the perfect storm to ruin just about anything and there was no one at this school capable of proving her wrong. But that wouldn't be enough to ruin this moment. 


Soon, her rifle would be placed on the table, as well as all the cleaning supplies she would need: Ram rod, cleaning brush and a large variety of oils and solvents. And of course Patches, the patchwork stuffed cat who would be overseeing the whole operation.


Ana Borovsky

[Ana Borovsky]

IT'S ME! HI!

I'M THE PROBLEM! IT'S ME!

Work smarter, not harder.

While many of UA’s students threw away such simple logic in favor of one that decreed there was no progress without some sort of suffering, Ana Borovsky was not among them. Efficiency inherently expedited and aided progress. Granted, not everyone was as smart as she was so achieving true efficiency was unlikely for them by comparison — but at least they could probably carry a stack of books without their arms trembling.

The task at hand that prompted the mantra was simple in theory. She needed to transport tomes borrowed from a teacher back to her private workspace on the floor below. Her body just didn’t want to cooperate without undue strain. So Ana did what anyone else in the modern world would do.

She used her Quirk.

Only after ducking into the privacy of an unoccupied room of course. Ana wasn’t about to flaunt her Quirk in the full view of a public space. Mama would disapprove. Immensely. She had always said there was a time and a place to do so and that one day, Ana would know what that time and place was. Ana never understood what Mama had meant by that last part, but she almost always listened to Mama! :)

So once her solitude was confirmed, Ana gathered what strength she did have and jumped before activating her Quirk just as momentum shifted away from upward and back toward the ground. It made traversing down significantly easier than relying on her own force as she phased through floor-turned-ceiling of the level below.

The room was illuminated in a sudden flash of multicolored light by Ana’s appearance a few feet behind a solitary figure looming, if one could loom when they were the size of a child, over a workbench. The light disappeared as quickly as it had arrived by virtue of Ana immediately shutting her Quirk off before impacting the tiled floor with no more impact than if she had only jumped an inch off the ground instead of falling a full story through space. Her arms were far more worse off than her legs so she unloaded her burden on a nearby table as curiosity got the better of her sense of urgency. It often did.

“What are you doing here? Children aren’t allowed in the labs!”

Her voice was upbeat but oddly monotone and thick with a Russian accent when she spoke. Should the alleged child turn around, the figure that addressed it was adorned in the school’s uniform, a short lab coat, and an eerie smile that stretched wide across her face. Odd bright eyes stared down at the winged girl, flickering only to the side for a moment to the stuffed cat that did nothing to dissuade Ana from thinking she was indeed a child.

Notes & Tags: Robin

[Robin]

Her hands worked to a silent rhythm. Moving from the solvent to the rag to the gun, back to the oil and back to the brush. Every step was measured and drilled into her soul. She was confident that even if she was dead and in the ground, her arms would still be working through the proper motions. The entire flock took pride in keeping their equipment clean and tidy. Every tool had its place, and the birds were no exception to this rule.



Except Robin, whose place was at this school. A twitch of anger found its way up a wing, her mind replaying the briefing that had placed her at this school, all the while her hands moved with minds of their own. She had always preferred being smaller. It was a precious advantage when the bullets started flying. She was harder to pin down, hit. Could fit nearly anywhere in order to get the proper angle for any shot. And yet, she was selected because her size would be ‘Disarming’. Her superior officers were under the assumption you would be hard pressed to assume a bird standing 4’5” could be a super soldier. Logistically it made sense, but it still pissed Robin off.



No matter how skilled she was, how many missions she succeeded, all the outside world would see is a child.



Almost on queue, the quiet room burst into activity as commotion from the ceiling dragged Robin’s attention from her rifle. A hit of adrenaline shot through her as she cursed herself for not bringing any sort of sidearm. Luckily for her, this was a school and the commotion was actually just a student falling through the roof.



You know, as they do.



Her words floated through the air between the two of them. It was the usual accusation. Robin roller her eyes already sick of the conversation. She stood against the discrimination and simply gestured to the school uniform she was wearing, “Be kinda weird if a child could pass the entrance exam”.



With what little she knew about this intruder she could already tell one thing. She disliked her greatly. Bright eyes had fallen through the floor with what she could only assume was her quirk. Robin couldn’t even fathom the possibilities that could be done with a quirk like that, but she knew exactly what it could do should the inclination change. These heroes hold an exorbitant amount of power and potential. They were each a gun held to the head of modern society whether they would admit it or not.



But, this wasn’t her place to preach. Not here, not now. Hers was to play the part of a student.



“Kinda would defeat the purpose of this whole school if you ask me.”


Ana Borovsky

[Ana Borovsky]

IT'S ME! HI!

I'M THE PROBLEM! IT'S ME!

“Children often play dress-up though I suppose no one would willingly wear these clothes! Especially when they already look so drab!”

The levity of what seemed to be intended as a quip was undercut by the contents of her statement and the intensity of her continued stare. Every movement on display was analyzed and deconstructed in a matter of seconds. Whether interpretation was correct or not was a different story. Unparalleled genius though she was, Ana’s brain was unique not only in the scope of her intellect when it came to science, but with how she understood, or didn’t understand, less technical things. Like social interactions. What Ana did know was that the girl before her hadn’t lashed out by her own metrics or understanding, cried, nor made a run for it. That was her cue to continue on as she was — rudely.

“You are correct though! I shouldn’t have assumed you to be exceptional enough to be a child that garnered early entrance given how unexceptional you do seem to be! Which means your lacking size is less a pre- or early post-pubescent indicator and more a result of Quirk altered anatomy!”

Ana’s eyes flickered to the wings framing the student’s form. “Diminutive stature! Smaller bones! Likely hollow to enable flight with wings!” Ana ran through her observations of logical jumps aloud almost as if she was just talking to herself and the young woman across from her wasn’t there in spite of how hard she was staring. Studying Quirks was one of the primary reasons she had been sent to UA after all. She grinned wider then abruptly clapped her hands together.

“How delightfully mundane a Quirk! At least the wings aren’t just for show! Unless you’re destined to end up like Icarus! But then what a show that would be if that were the case! Back to things more important than your beginning and end though! You don’t look like anyone I’ve seen in the Support Department before! So why are you here using our things without the supervision that would imply consent or permission for your presence?”

Notes & Tags: Robin

[Robin]

The girl spoke in a way that seemed intentionally intended to mean as much offense as possible. A bright demeanor carried by backhanded compliments, brought together with such accuracy that wasn’t technically wrong. On the outside, her ‘Quirk’ was simple. She had just a pair of wings. Little did she know the modifications had touched nearly every part of her. Each of her cells was crafted with precision and intent. The real irony was Robin was made to protect people from people like her. Loose cannons who think might is right, and that their quirk makes them a god.

Unlike Icarus however, she wouldn’t burn her wings trying to rip God from the sky.

Unfortunately, all she could do now is watch as she was seemingly picked apart. Her stature, wings, and anatomy used to accurately portray what she was. She would cock an eyebrow as she continued to question just what had brought her into the Labs today.

“Oh, you don’t want to take a guess as to why I'm here? Why wouldn't I want a clean environment in order to do precision work on finely crafted parts? Or perhaps, why wouldn't I want to do this kind of work in my dorm? I’m pretty sure being in an enclosed space with an open bottle of acid is good for developing brains.” She finished her thought defiantly. A thin veneer of cynicism coating her words as they dripped from her mouth.

“…And I'm only using the bench. and I’m providing my own supplies. And please, I don't need supervision, I’ve been taking care of my equipment for years.” The earlier tone shifted to a more childlike insistence. She was a professional in her field and didn’t need to be questioned by some student who happened to literally drop through the ceiling.

She turned back to the desk to continue her work. She managed to get the grime out of the barrel and was not in the process of oiling down the parts and reassembling. Her hands moved with careful choreography as she tilted her head back towards the intruder.

“So, no stairs? I assume you’re one of those support students. So does that mean your supervision is implying consent?”

Ana Borovsky

[Ana Borovsky]

IT'S ME! HI!

I'M THE PROBLEM! IT'S ME!

Ana remained motionless and wordless throughout the retort. Much like a predator lying in wait for hapless prey. This prey did not seem so hapless at first glance. Venom and verbal thrashing issued in self-defense.

Or death throes.

The sophomore’s eyes almost seemed to glow even in the well lit room. Perhaps it was her Quirk seeping out unchecked. A flight or fight response to subconsciously perceived threats. Implausible, but not impossible. More likely, however, it was just a side effect of Ana’s mounting amusement as the other student spoke and once Robin did stop, there was a pause as Ana cocked her head to one side almost like she was waiting for her to continue and when she did not, Ana righted her head, grin wider than ever before and eyes equally as bright.

“But you are in an enclosed space!”

Out of Robin’s entire rant, her comment about being around acid was what Ana zeroed in on. Picking out flaws was habit. Innate, even. It was part of what made Ana so good at what she did and one of the reasons people disliked her so much.

“And if you can't keep your own living quarters clean enough to perform basic weapon maintenance there without mistakes and mess being an issue or learn to open a window for ventilation or-” Ana paused here as she stepped over to a wall with a variety of switches. One of which she flipped causing the vents in the room to turn on. “-learn to utilize the ventilation system in the labs properly to back up your own claims over having a right to use them, then yes, you do absolutely require supervision to be here because you're clearly either an idiot or staggeringly unskilled!”

Ana moved back to her original spot. Her eyes never left Robin. They never blinked either.

“I could supervise you though, yes! You could remain and do your trivial work in a place more suited to it for today instead of being escorted out by a professor or worse! The question is, what would I get out of it?”

Notes & Tags: Robin | Ears and tail hidden.

[Robin]

Even as she spoke, Robin could see the self satisfaction growing in the students eyes. She had clearly made some sort of misstep for an ordinary student and she would have no clue what it was until Ana had pointed it out in an ‘oh-so better than you’ manner. Her mind raced trying to figure out how anything she was doing could be considered dangerous or unhealthy to the average person. It wasn’t until the chemical hood was turned on that it dawned on her.

Harsh solvents aren’t good for lungs.

It was an embarrassing realization to make in her current company, but when the damage to your lungs heals as it occurs, you lose a lot of sensitivity to the intricacies of chemical safety.

Even if she had brought it up in the first place.

“You’ve seen the dorms. They don’t really have space for this kind of work, besides, would you subject your roommate to this kind of treatment?” Robin's eyes rolled as the hood spun up, quickly making the air far less hazardous for the average human. Despite all the distractions, her hands worked dutifully in a well rehearsed fashion. The firing group was slotted back into place, the recoil buffer was replaced in the frame, and the whole rifle was quickly buttoned back together with the retaining pins finding their way back home.

“What do you mean ‘what would I get out of it?’? You seemed to be having fun picking me apart. If anything, I’d say you owe me for the privilege of doing just that.” It was obvious that Ana’s eyes had not left the bird, didn’t need to look at her to confirm this fact. No, Robin was the most interesting thing to happen to her today and she was relishing this fact as a welcome distraction to what could’ve been the humdrum of schoolwork. It didn’t really matter to the bird as she was nearly done with her cleaning, as she went on to polishing various surfaces and optics. It wasn’t necessary but there wasn’t anywhere better to be. Ana might’ve had a quirk, but she was the most interesting thing happening today.

“So what do you say Bright eyes, we have a deal?”

Ana Borovsky

[Ana Borovsky]

IT'S ME! HI!

I'M THE PROBLEM! IT'S ME!

The half-hearted counter inquisition railed against Ana’s mask of amusement and perpetual air of superiority. “My roommate has been through far worse in our dorm,” was the only interruption to dam the stream of words from Robin. Though another almost made its way past Ana’s Cheshire grin and into the open. A dispute, unsurprisingly, against the claim that she owed the other student for picking her apart. In Ana’s mind, she had done her a favor by revealing her weaknesses in a safe space rather than in front of an enemy. Though people always seemed to perceive Ana as an enemy no matter how helpful she was. Only Jun and Gen had seen past that to what lay beneath. And only the latter had ever called her the name that Robin now tossed out so casually.

The facade cracked in ways that only those who knew her could easily read; a tilt of the head and hidden beneath skirt and coat, a twitch of her tail accompanied by yet an even wider smile. “It’s Ana! Ana Borovsky! Not Bright Eyes!” She leaned against the table she had stacked the books on and folded her arms over her chest in a subconscious representation of a wall between the two young women. A wall that Ana’s interest had her peering over.

Most people would have left to spare themselves from Ana’s caustic personality by now. Something about picking your battles and Ana was a battle very few people picked. Which meant this other woman was stubborn and genuinely stubborn people had something so many of the students at UAU seemed to lack — purpose. So of course Ana was curious. She was also a cat. Or at least, she had some cat parts. Hopefully she wasn’t so much a cat that she’d prove a certain old adage true while snooping around for whatever reason Robin had to be so stubborn. Still, Robin had offered the deal to pick her apart. She just didn’t specific how. So Ana kept on grinning, even as she added onto her earlier response.

“We have a deal!”

Notes & Tags: Robin