[lonewolf]

Today was a rarity for the day. He was late for his own lecture, but the hero known as Lone Wolf had hosted one of his infamous classes. As in, a class within a classroom. The topic: how not to be seen. This was one of those that would be better off in the field, but there was a method to the madness. One exercise detail what was expected, followed by a class on techniques and the like that the kids could utilize in the future, followed by the next three classes in the field to apply what they learned in various circumstances. A lot of this madness was because Mark himself was a high school dropout and he didn't put much stock into academia as a whole, and most of what he learned was either from his dad or from experience. It was a great way to give the kids whiplash, but seeing as other teachers also weighed heavily on field exercises he felt justified in his approach.

The lecture was short, but got the point across: hang low, know line of sight and how angles work, understand how line of sight could be extended and how to utilize the environment to your advantage. It was a lot of knowledge to cram into a small period of time, but at the very least the class could take notes, research, and practice on their own time. He couldn't spoon feed them everything. And so he'd start to clean up his class space, wiping down the whiteboard as he debated how he was going to run the next class.

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

Marlene was a very diligent student.

She attended every class in the program, and even extra-curricular ones. This lecture was one of them. She heard of the fellow telling it. She knew his name was Mark Browning, and that he was a teacher from overseas. Sitting somewhere in the middle row, the girl tried to jot down everything he said, even though it was unnecessary - her memory was not faulty, like that of a human. Still, the advice he gave was exceedingly difficult to write down. Perhaps, it was meant to be learned by heart rather than written for a test, of some sort. 

The automaton girl heard different things about this one.

Most of them were not very flattering. Some teachers said the man was lazy and "not a true hero". Others wondered how he ended up getting the position in the first place. He certainly did not look very teacher-like. More like a character from one of those old western movies, where people drove bricky trucks and solved all of their problems with guns. Speaking of which, that is what Marlene overheard, that got her interest. Weapons. Not archaic ones like swords and clubs and maces. She needed those not, for she feared no one up close. But from afar...

When the bell rang and the few listeners stood up and left, Marlene did so as well. Only, instead of going for the door, she went towards the teacher's desk. Heavy steps following her otherwise dainty and diminutive form.

"Hello, mr. Browning. My name is Marlene Lovechild. I would like to ask you some questions, if you have the time."

The girl's voice was neutral, polite. A barely audible metallic reverb to it. If he would give her time of the day, she would ask her questions. If not, she would leave. 

[lonewolf]

Mark turned to look at the person addressing him, memory jogging a little as he placed the face to the name. "Marlene. Hi there!" He was polite, but internally he was creeped out. Her situation was not unfamiliar to him, and while he could get used to her demeanor and the like her appearance was what disturbed him. Too much like one of those old china dolls. And he already had one experience recently that tangentially involved one of those.

He'd set the eraser down once finished, moving over to the desk as he reached for his hat. "I have a busy schedule, but I think I can spare a few minutes. What questions did you have?" Him being "busy" was a little misleading, but his hope was that she'd catch on that he didn't want to stay in this conversation for long so he could get back to the important things in life. Namely the piece of apple pie he had stowed away in the lounge fridge.

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

Marlene always had an easier time socializing with teachers, and adults, for that matter.

Whether they liked her or not, they remained, for the most part, polite. This one seemed cordial enough, if a bit dismissive. But he was still willing to hear her out, and the automaton girl approached him for a very utilitarian reason. One that he, by her estimations, was capable of helping her with. Being a teacher and all. She did not know much about the man. A teacher's files being not open to her, unlike how hers was to him. No matter, she went ahead to state the purpose of her inquiry. 

"I was told that you are a specialist in firearms." - Marlene stated, plainly. "I am looking to learn to use those, and I need an instructor."

Her head tilted to the side, as if expressing curiosity, but the tilt was a bit too unnatural for a normal person. The little whirr of the metal joints of the neck probably didn't help either.

"Would you care to assist me? I could use a recommendation for what weapon to purchase, and train with. I have no experience with them whatsoever." 

[lonewolf]

The request gave him pause, holding the hat in both hands as he looked at her. Now, he had found that while there was a small group of Japanese people that were into anything Western and a smaller few that had taken up the shooter, such things were few and far between. Most Japanese people hadn't even seen a live firearm, let alone had an interest in owning or shooting one. Mark attributed this to the fact that she wasn't human, which made the red flag that was flying in front of his face all the more crimson.

"You want to learn how to use firearms. And you're asking me." He couldn't help but feel like there was a setup. With another pause he'd start to look around the room, trying to pinpoint where exactly the hidden camera might be. "Most heroes tend to not look into training in guns, relying more on quirk and wit. And I don't mean any offense, but I don't think there are many laws on file that allow androids to carry. Before I answer any of your questions...why?"

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

"You want to learn how to use firearms. And you're asking me."

"Yes. That is the correct summation of my request."

For a brief moment, one would think there was a slight tinge of sarcasm in the machine's voice. Was it sarcasm? Or some other emotion associated with stating the obvious, or repeating oneself after having made oneself clear once. The secret suspicions, red flags, and other things that went through Marlene's prospective mentor's head, though, went completely above her head. What she wanted was to learn. But she had to jump through a few hoops first. Mr. Browning did not seem to jump at the idea immediately, or at all. He asked for her reasons, first.

She would give them to him.

"My fists have an effective range of approximately five feet. My speed does not exceed that of a trained regular human. Should I encounter an enemy with increased mobility and the means of attacking at range, they would be able to molest me unopposed." 

The automaton girl outlined the hypothetical situation. 

"Having a firearm would level the field. Few individuals can outrun a bullet. Being proficient with one would make my task of subjugating humans that much easier."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air after that last line, before Marlene decided to break it.

"That was a joke."

[lonewolf]

Mark just stared at her. The joke was definitely disturbing, and it made him wonder if comedy was something that was programmed into her or a learned trait. Either way, he was skeptical. Really skeptical. He had to give her points for efficiency, though; she was right in the fact that the average thug couldn't outrun a bullet, let along dodge out of the way of one. Many students were refining themselves to deal with a threat such as that, which was a good thing, but there were also not many that went out of their way to learn about them. Which was a crying shame as knowledge about guns was just as important as knowing how they operate.

That said, as ecstatic as Lone Wolf was at a student willing to learn, he wished it could have been anyone else. He'd have to approach this with some level of diplomacy, while also learning about various different laws about this whole situation. As notorious as he was for throwing students into the deep end, this was a case he would have to take baby steps. "In that case, let's start with the basics. The real simple basics. And we'll start with a demonstration." He reached into his jacket, pulling out the Carry from its holster and intentionally pointed it at her. There wasn't a round chambered in, but every instinct of his screamed at him, especially since his finger rested on the trigger. "What am I doing wrong in this situation?"

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

Glorious success!

Mr. Browning agreed to teach her, or so it seemed. He did not seem too opposed to the idea, at least. Not enough to send Marlene away, at the very least. Instead, the teacher decided to do a little bit of demonstration, and pulled out a gun of his. The machine looked curious, as she inspected the weapon. Just like she said, she knew nothing about guns, except for the fact that they could should. The one he had in hand must have been a pistol of some kind. It was pointed at her. The teacher asked what he was doing wrong. She tilted her head to the side.

"Do you intend to shoot me, mr. Browning?" 

It sounded like such an innocent quip.

Marlene was not afraid of it happening. More than confident that her frame would be impervious to the damage of small arms fire. And maybe even large caliber rounds. Still, she made an effort to figure it out. Crouching a bit she looked straight into the barrel, and did not see a bullet there. Standing back up, she said.

"If you intend to shoot me, then it would be harder with no bullet in the chamber. Otherwise, I have no idea." - the automaton shrugged her shoulders.

"What are you doing wrong?" - she asked, curiously.

[lonewolf]

Mark just stared. He stared for a long time. The nonchalance that Marlene exhibited with a loaded gun pointed at her, not to mention staring down the barrel, just emphasized how much of a problem it would be to teach her how to use a gun. Immediately removing his finger from the trigger guard he turned to set the gun down on the table, taking a deep breath. "Okay, Marlene, I don't know if this is because no one ever taught you this sort of thing or...I don't know, programmed? Before I can teach you anything about guns, I have to first teach you about gun safety. There is no gun knowledge without knowledge of operating a gun safely. And I am going to assume you're immune to three-eighty, which is why you didn't flinch at all with a loaded gun pointed at you."

He took a deep breath, centering himself. Okay, calm down, Mark. This will be okay. One step at a time. "First of all, every gun is loaded. And I mean every gun. You see a bunch of guns hanging up in a storefront, they're loaded. The revolver sitting in your mom's nightstand? Loaded. The hunting rifle sitting in your uncle's gun case? Loaded. Some wackjob from America pulls one on you in the middle of a classroom at school? You bet your ass that it's loaded." He points at the handgun sitting on the desk. "Until you pull back the slide or open the bolt of any firearm, and you check the breech yourself to make sure there is no cartridge sitting there, every gun is loaded. Capice?

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

"I am not programmable. I learn through observation, repetition, and analysis."

The same way humans do. Which was part the reason why the automaton stared so much and so often. To take in everything. And she listened to every word her teacher said. The subject for today was gun safety. It made sense - she had to know how to minimize potential unintended casualties before being given a firearm. Marlene nodded, when asked if she were immune to three-eighty. She was immune to a lot of things, mother made sure of that. 

"I do not feel startled by most things." - she replied to the latter comment, diverting her eyes away. Almost as if a bit ashamed to not be afraid. In any case, the lesson was starting. Marlene pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and started scribbling while Mark spoke. She wrote down every word, even the Capice at the end, and underscored it, twice. Feeling like it was important in some way.

"Very well." - the automaton nodded. "I will operate under the assumption that every gun is loaded, unless proven otherwise."

The example about wackjobs from America sounded oddly personal. Was it often the case to where the teacher was from? Marlene observed mr. Browning, noting the staring, and the deep breathing he made, from time to time. He appeared to be distressed. Turning her head left and right, with a mechanic whirr, Marlene noticed that there were no other students around, as they have already vacated the area. Which left only one source of disturbance around.

"I am sorry to be startling you, mr. Browning. I will do my best to be a good student for you. What else is there to know about firearm safety?"

The automaton prepared to write, once more.

[lonewolf]

Mark couldn't help but stare back. Marlene was weird. Super weird. But that was pretty much par for the course at this point. "It's fine. I'm just not used to Terminators and the wall I gotta get through to get a point across." Was that a little much? That seemed a little much. She seemed to have some level of emotion, even if it was minute, and that was a little harsh. "No offense."

That didn't excuse him, but at the very least he could try not to be a dick. "That's one of the bigger rules, but one even before that is you never, ever point a gun at someone or something that you don't intend to destroy. Contrary to popular belief, guns don't have a soul and they don't kill people. While a gun might have more in common with a sword or a bow, they are at the end of the day a tool. I know there are some people that say any tool can be considered a weapon, but not all weapons can be considered tools, but anyone that says that is talking out their ass. Weapons are tools, too. An axe can be used to cut down a tree or hack someone's arm off. Guns are no different, though their purpose is more destructive..." He reaches over to pat the Carry. "This particular gun has been modified to fire special rounds for nonlethal means, but that doesn't mean they can't cause serious harm. If you can control where it's pointed, then you can control whether this tool can be used to harm the innocent or to protect them."

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

"Do not worry, mr. Browning. Terminating people is not my primary function."

Marlene responded earnestly. Though she had a capacity for combat, she was not created with the explicit purpose of fighting. She was more of an ... infiltrator. If that made sense. Her mother wanted her to be as close to a normal girl as she could make it. That purpose was something, she failed, she was not doing very good at. The way her would-be teacher acted, demonstrated that point well. Fortunately for him, he was not the one she had to act lifelike for. Fortunately for Marlene, her intended audience was not here to watch her fail.

She continued to listen to the lecture Mark was giving her. About how guns don't have souls, and tools not having any either. The automaton took a small step back with her front foot, turning her body a little to the side, instead of directly facing the man. A shadow of a frown crossing her features, when she did that.

"Tools are the most content when they are used for their intended purpose." - Marlene spoke from experience. "They are not as content when they are used for other purposes. The likelihood of them failing is higher, then. No thing likes failing."

She crossed her arms on her chest.

"I think I understand, though. Weapons are an extension of your will. They will not harm unintended targets if the one exerting the will is careful. I will not point weapons at anything I do not intend to destroy."

[lonewolf]

The change in posture didn't go unnoticed by Mark, but as offended as she might be it was something that needed to be said. "I'm glad it's setting in. Maybe you can give another one of my students pointers on how to listen." He shook his head, thinking about his first interaction with Dante. The poor, misguided child.

"Third thing you need to keep in mind: never keep your finger on the trigger." He hefted the gun once again in his hand, turning to show a side view while also keeping the muzzle angled down at the ground and towards a desk, away from the two of them. "That might sound counter intuitive, especially since most guns come with a safety, but that's a whole can of worms for another day. It's much easier to keep your finger pressed against the side like this over keeping it in the trigger guard. Most triggers have a pull weight of about seven pounds, but this can be modified to be less or more. You don't want too much weight on your triggers else it might affect your accuracy, but too little and you'll have something called a hair trigger. The tiniest of taps will fire the gun, and you never want to be in a situation where you have an accidental discharge because you kept your booger picker on the trigger."

He moved to holster the gun, looking at her. "All three of these rules are incredibly important, but that last one in particular, at least to me, is the most vital. You can have a gun loaded and pointed at me all day long, and while I may sweat I won't be worried until I see that finger on the trigger. You never want to keep anything on it unless you're ready to fire."

Marlene Lovechild

[Marlene Lovechild]

"Very well. I will provide instructions, when necessary."

Marlene ignored the hypothetical nature of the situation. If she were to meet this student the teacher mentioned, she would instruct him on how to listen. And she would also follow the instructions provided further. About keeping the finger off the trigger. It was a human thing. Their control of their motor functions was ... suspect. Marlene had these too, sometimes. Breaking pencils and such. So this was useful.

"I will keep my finger off the trigger, when I do not intend to shoot."

She accepted instructions with ease. Not having any knowledge of how to handle guns helped, in this situation. She did not have to rewrite old instructions to adapt to new ones. So she simply absorbed all she was told, like a sponge. Nodded, and writing it down, she then summarized:

"What I have learned so far: A gun is assumed to be loaded, unless proven otherwise. Do not look into the barrel of the gun to check. Do not point at a target you do not intend to destroy. Keep the finger off the trigger, unless you intend to shoot." - Marlene stated.

"What else do I need to learn?"

[lonewolf]

Mark would nod as she repeated back all the relevant information, satisfied. Granted, he'd have to test her on this knowledge in the future, but he had more faith in Marlene than he did most other students. He assumed it had to do with writing this directly to the harddrive for future use, but he had offended her once and he wasn't going to bring that particular fact up.

"The last thing you need to know goes hand in hand with what I normally teach." He pulled a bullet from a pocket, a larger round than what could be chambered in the Carry. "What most media teaches you about cover and ballistics is bullshit, at least ninety percent of it. This here is a solid chunk of lead that can punch through a man and turn his insides to gelatin, creating a softball-sized hole in his back. But just because you've dusted your target doesn't mean that this thing stops moving." He'd offer the round to her, looking her straight in the eye. "Know what your target is. Know what your target is behind, know what is behind your target. The second you pull that trigger, the likelihood of you ruining someone's day is above zero. It could be the bad guy, a cactus, or someone's grandma. Neutralizing the threat is one thing, but something that hero society doesn't like to advertise is collateral damage."

He'd pause, pressing his lips together before continuing. "The moment you decide to fire, you need to be sure no one you want hurt gets hurt. If you want to continue on this path, then we can begin training proper tomorrow."

Marlene Lovechild