It was all pomp and ceremony. Teenagers lost, desperately trying to cling onto anything that they knew. Anything that might garner them a shred of attention, fame, worth, money. It was big talk from big names in a big industry that had every intention of using you and spitting you out when you have nothing left to give. It was an industry fixated on the “Next big name in heroics” and if you weren’t that, you were worthless to the masses.

No, Robin didn’t want to be here. Here in this chair, and here at this Orientation. Then again, none of the other Ronin’s wanted her to go either. The school represented the last trial of a long drawn out business deal and Robin had been selected to prove the projects worth. Even if that meant getting shoulder to shoulder with the next generation of war crimes waiting to happen. Her eyes rolled with every noble intention in the room, every aspiration to be number one, every kid trying to carve their name in the stars. It was innocence at its purest and it made her stomach roll.

Whatever. At the very least data could be collected about this generation of wannabe Heroes while she was forced to sit amongst them.

Leonid. Sure liked to hear his own voice. If she was being honest, the bird hadn’t been listening to anything he said since this assembly had begun. There were few other standouts in the crowd. Some guy asking about fighting, people doubting their capabilities because of course there was.

And finally something that truly piqued her attention. A truly deep cut against the ethics of Heroics in the modern age. It was an all too valid accusation made at the throat of the school, one that was deflected and turned back into a life lesson to be swallowed by the students en masse.

Be your best, Try hard, keep up the façade that this isn’t a small army of warrior-gods in training.

No, While Leonid spoke he had very little to actually say and very little to interest Robin in. Everyone in this room had a price. A cost they’re willing to pay for their dignity. A small enough price for some to pay in order to get a literal superhero on their payroll. All this talk about ‘Being your best self’ meant ultimately nothing against the sociopolitical impact that their mere presence would have on this planet.

Robin shrugged, her wings twitching upward. Not like she had any high ground to speak from of course, she was here to sell a product to the very same corporations. The difference is that the Ronin were made for this.

Raiomaru Toshigawa @therestofyall