Surprise! It’s a Gun Bunny! | Elise

Firearms and Elise was quite an unusual connection, so when Haruto expressed his disbelief and confusion it was a pretty natural reaction. After all, for a girl who had once been a pacifist incapable of even slapping someone it was to be expected that the concept of her holding a gun would likely be quite foreign, to say the least, to the point one might have assumed it was downright out of place. However, it would appear that there had been a particular reason for the girl's interest in guns. As they reached the armory and Haruto voiced his surprise about her 'hobby' the girl would soon explain the reasoning behind the peculiar relationship of Elise von Eisenberg and the weaponry known as firearms. "Well, to be honest... guns are amazing!" Elise proclaimed with an excited grin as they approached the tables that contained the various firearms on display. "You got all sorts of guns, each having its own different purpose and its own way of being wielded." She stopped right before some handguns and smoothly picked up one of them, her grip light but clearly skilled as she explained further. "For example handguns might have the lowest firepower, but they are an excellent means of dealing with opposition when they reach a closer range, you see a lot of guns only work well at an optimal range, like you don't want to fire an assault rifle when your enemy is like a kilometer away from you!"

A sheepish giggle escaped her lips as she placed the gun back onto the table, walking over to another one and this time picked up a military-grade sniper rifle, the MSG90 which she was so intimately familiar with. "The sniper rifle is my favorite type of gun, it is meant to be used from afar to take down an opponent before they even notice you're there! They are able to reach amazing distances! Did you know that in optimal circumstances a skilled sniper can hit roughly about six hundred meters away?" She puffed out her chest slightly and hummed happily. "By the way, when I practice with sensei I can hit up to a kilometer without dropping in my accuracy, amazing right?" The girl grinned from ear to ear, clearly proud about her skill with the firearm as she mused softly. "But seeing it in action might be a bit more fun~" Elise exclaimed happily as she gently reached with a hand for Haruto's own, trying to grasp it lightly as she approached the shooting range. "Wanna see me firing a gun?" the girl asked with a sheepish grin while they approached the shooting range, seemingly already so energetic that she had considered only a yes for an answer.

However, as they approached the range it seemed Haruto would finally find out the nature of the bond between Elise and firearms. "Since you're similar to me with your quirk, haven't you ever thought about it Haru? That question of: Why can't I save people?" She paused for a moment as they reached the entrance of the shooting range and she soon clarified her question further. "People like us, with quirks that can only 'heal' people and lessen their suffering, have to rely on physical capacities to be able to help their loved ones." She felt a brief frown cross her visage as she mumbled softly. "I'm sick of that. Because I'm physically weak I can't protect those I love, and because of my quirk all I can do is tend to their injuries AFTER they are hurt."

She couldn't help but think back onto certain events as she turned toward him and smiled sheepishly. "That is why I learned to wield firearms. A firearm within the hands of a skilled shooter can be just as effective and powerful as a quirk and with the right ammunition... I can help protect those I love. No longer will I have to watch Tetsu's back as she gets hurt... now I can walk beside her and keep her safe." A soldier who was handling the ammunition saw the two students and approached them with a smile, inquiring with a hint of curiosity in his voice. "You want to try firing that weapon? However, I'd recommend going for something easier lassy, a sniper rifle is a rather advanced weapon and it usually takes soldiers a specialization course to be able to wield them properly."

The girl shook her head lightly, answering the man with a confident grin. "I'm used to this model~ Can you please put up a target at a kilometer distance?" The soldier laughed heartily at her words. "Aiming straight for the maximum range? Either you're brave or foolish~ Then again if that's what you want." The man grinned as he approached the controls of the shooting range, yet as he turned toward the table he saw to his surprise that the girl had already loaded the five bullets into the magazine of the gun!

"Uuuh... you wanna watch your friend try?" He asked Haruto, handing him some binoculars as he raised his own to his eyes and stated with a smile. "Feel free to start firing lassy, I'll let you know if you get near the target." The girl merely nodded her head with a smile, humming a soft melody as she raised the sniper and took aim, a deep breath following. What would the results be of her attempt to fire a sniper rifle? Was it but simple bravado, or was she actually genuinely holding some sort of secret? It appeared it would clearly be the latter, for while the soldier at the range was simply focused on looking at the target dummy through the binoculars Haruto would hear an old elderly voice musing beside him. "Hmm, that pose brings back memories..." the old man hummed softly as he looked at Haruto with a smile. "I used to be part of the army, see that girl there with the rifle? Her pose, the way she is holding the gun and her method of sniping? Reminds me of my partner, but to think a kiddo would be holding a gun in the same way a professional sniper would..."

A momentary pause lingered in the air as she listened to Haruto admitting that he'd rather wouldn't have any opposition to deal with in the first place. It was an understandable desire for Haruto to have, after all in the almost two months that they had known each other the burgundy-haired lass believed that Haruto was rather pacifistic in nature, the type who would try to avoid conflict as much as possible. "It would be nice if we could avoid opposition altogether, right Haru?" She asked with a gentle smile before she turned her gaze toward the rifle and shook her head gently in denial of the statement. "But that type of naive and idealistic scenario only happens in a world of fairytales." It was the harsh truth, as long as there was light, there would be darkness trying to consume it. As long as heroes existed, there would be villains to oppose them. "It would be wonderful if we could avoid conflict altogether Haru. But the truth is that reality isn't that kind. There will always be evil and vile people, like the man who robbed me of my parents."

"You never felt that way?" Elise asked, her tone clearly betraying a hint of mild surprise as he answered her question. "Is that truly the case?" She mused softly as she loaded the firearm and listened to his story. It appeared that Haruto had once saved the people of his village by using his quirk, sacrificing his own wellbeing to save them. A heroic effort for sure, but one that only amplified the point she was trying to reason. "Then turn my question around Haru: Are you fine with watching your friends and loved ones get hurt? Let's say a villain attacks us, are you truly going to be willing to stand back as this villain causes those dear to you to suffer?"

She shook her head in denial and started to aim her rifle, her lips moving softly as her tone grew colder. "Then the love you hold for those dear to you is different than mine. I wouldn't want to sit back and tend to your wounds if I could prevent you from getting them in the first place. To just sit back and tend to them afterward?" As she asked the question and after a moment finally answered with a cold statement. "There is a difference between healing and protecting someone..." A gunshot resounded across the firing range.

"Good is quite an understatement, in the army most of us know how to handle certain firearms like, say a handgun?" The older soldier explained to Haruto, a calm and relaxed smile on his lips as he continued speaking. "But something like a sniper rifle is a weapon way more advanced than the average soldier is capable of handling. There is a reason we have the term 'Snipers' in the first place." The man mused softly while raising a hand to his chin to stroke his beard lightly. "To use a rifle like that efficiently you need to basically undergo a specialized training course. Some take years to complete it, others never succeed in it and turn to another specialization. That friend of yours? She's shooting with the same skill as someone who made it their expertise." Wondering if his words might had confused the boy he laughed heartily and corrected himself. "Simply said, if this was an Olympic sport she would be a gold medalist winner, likely one who wins repeatedly." He laughed softly while his eyes softened for a moment.

"But it's clear the lass is conflicted. Most of us learn how to use a firearm as part of our career, after all, we need to know how to kill in order to protect, but she has been showing an unnatural interest in the experimental weaponry on display. You see, firearms are usually known as tools of destruction, right? However, there has been researching into developing ammunition and weaponry meant to restrain and capture the enemy rather than kill them. She has been visiting the engineers frequently to ask them all sorts of questions, I think her love for firearms is different than that of ours."

As Elise quietly took another shot the man answered Haruto's inquiry about the distance with a slight nod. "For a girl her age firing a sniper like that, with such accuracy is already an immense feat, but if you consider she has reliably been hitting each shot at least from a kilometer away and you get something that goes beyond skill." Another gunshot resounded as Elise finally lowered her rifle and sighed softly. "Guess I'm not in the right mood today..." the burgundy-haired lass whispered softly as she placed the emptied sniper onto the table and approached Haruto. "I had enough shooting for now, do you want to go anywhere else Haru? The engineers got some interesting stuff on display, but it might be a bit difficult to understand some of the features of those inventions if you're not familiar with firearms..."

Perhaps she had been wrong, a part of her had assumed that since Haruto's quirk was one which lacked the ability to be used directly in combat, that the teenager would share the troubled feeling she had. Surely he would have wanted to keep Chise safe from harm, right? Then why... Why was he seemingly satisfied with sitting back and tending to the wounded instead of protecting those dear to him? It wasn't that she doubted her decision to turn toward firearms for the power she sought, the power to protect those dear to hear, but she had to admit she was still surprised, kind of hurt even to learn Haruto didn't feel similar to her. Was it because he had not suffered like her? Perhaps that was the case, perhaps he didn't understand her feelings because he had not endured loss like she did. However, perhaps it was better that way. She didn't want Haruto to learn what type of feeling such loss brought with it...

To say that Haruto was dealing with a difficult challenge would have been quite an understatement. In the end, how do you possibly convince someone that wielding a weapon was wrong when she had lost so much already at the hands of evil? Of course, when her father died and her mother was left in her comatose Elise had become all the more determined to take up the gun. Just like Tetsuko had taken up the sword for the sake of her family's honor so did Elise take up the gun for the sake of her loved one, to ensure the last one precious to her wouldn't slip among her fingers. She wouldn't allow Tetsuko to disappear as her parents did, even if she had to watch the world burn in return...

"Hmm? I don't recall hearing much about the event, the news report I read mentioned something about some animal extremists causing problems at the Circus?" Elise answered his inquiry. If she was truthful, she had indeed not heard much about the debacle at all, certainly, she knew it had happened recently but the news reports were all she had been able to go by, especially since nobody she knew had ever mentioned before. Of course, as she had expected Haruto tried to raise the point again that healing others was just as important as saving them. Certainly, there were heroes busy fighting Kunshu, and people rescuing others, some even dragging them out of the fire and some were even endangering themselves because they tried to calm down the children that had their quirks go off without any control due to their panicked state. The lad continued to explain that he had used his quirk to help those who had inhaled smoke and used his first aid skills to help people.

"You do realize that the point you're raising just makes it even more clear just how useful it would be for me to be able to protect others? I'm not saying I would forsake the act of healing, but at least now I can also ensure that others will suffer less, or possibly not at all because I'm able to protect others also." The burgundy-haired lass answered him with an eerie calmness and confidence in her tone, it clearly seemed like she was set on her choice to fight. "And all I ask is the power to protect and save the one dear to me." She muttered the last bit, almost barely hearable above a whisper.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she thought back about the reason she had started going down on this path in the first place. She knew that Tetsuko was a warrior, she had been trained in swordsmanship her entire life, and could take care of herself, but still, the selfish girl... the one the iron-blooded lass considered her 'princess' still desired to keep Tetsuko safe. Even if her quirk could mend the scars and bruises Tetsuko might suffer from, it didn't ease the pain in her heart from seeing Tetsuko get hurt. Of course, little did the burgundy-haired lass understand just how dangerous those feelings could possibly be, something the future would surely show her one day.

It was tragic, that one whose body, whose lineage was meant for the act of healing also possessed such a talent for firearms, a weapon that truly could be classified as a tool of destruction. How could one not see the tragic irony in that? To think the heiress of a pharmaceutical company which had run in their family for countless generations had actually become a markswoman? She wasn't sure what her father or mother would have said, but she knew that she refused to lose anyone else in a similar manner to them, she would give it her all to keep them safe, both as a protector and a healer.

"Indeed, there are still quite a few problems we are trying to get around to before they can be put to proper use, but for the time being it seems we are advancing well on the path to where even heroes can use a gun to restrain a villain rather than kill them." The engineer answered Haruto, and as Elise moved over toward the lad Haruto's inquiry about the paintball event made her expression soften again, seemingly appreciating the change of subject. "Let's head over to the paintball hall then, I can show you a few of the guns on display there and give you some advice. I think a semi-automatic might work best for you, a light weapon so you don't need to worry about recoil, like a handgun format, I think the heavier guns might be a bit of a problem for you."

Indeed, recoil was a problem everyone had to deal with to a certain degree, like her mentor taught her: Recoil was the price you had to pay for using a weapon that packed such firepower, and while an expert like her could manage to fire even with the recoil, acting as if it didn't exist at all, most people tended to suffer immensely when they tried to act confidently and picked a large gun and were surprised when the recoil nearly blew them out of their socks!

"As you can guess likely, the recoil of a weapon is different from type to type, the larger and heavier the weapon, the greater the recoil. My sensei told me that recoil is the price we pay for getting this additional firepower. Its impossible to entirely negate, but an expert is able to ignore the recoil and fire as if it didn't exist. But consider you're neither an expert or got the time to become one, your best bet is to use a weapon which is easy enough to use. After all, a medical student starts with first aid, they don't instantly jump into doing surgeries~" Elise explained with a brief smile on her lips as she guided Haruto out of the armory and into the direction of the paintball hall.

Indeed, in the mindset of the burgundy-haired lass Elise's path had been set. She refused to let another precious life slip through her fingers because she was too weak to protect them! Nonetheless, when he commented about hoping for her to stay safe out there Elise found the corners of her mouth curve up lightly into the faint traces of a smile. Although she might have been set on what path to traverse, her origins didn't change, and as a result, Elise was still a person who valued friendship and kindness. "Mhmm, I'll be careful~ Besides, I'll have Tetsuko to watch my back, and in a worst case scenario I'm sure that you'll drag my ass out of troubles if I get in over my head, just like I'd do the same for you." Indeed, even if she might have pursued the desire to gain more power, to become capable of fighting Elise couldn't help but find herself to abandon that other side of her. Indeed, whether it was the excitable Gun Bunny who showed an unnatural proficiency for firearms, or the cheerful and happy medical student who liked to help people, both were just two sides of the same person.

Although Haruto's silent thoughts had merit, even if she wasn't aware of them, they were thoughts she had pondered about before: To focus on both combat and medical studies was incredibly difficult. There was a reason why combat medics only received basic training, yet Elise firmly believed that with enough dedication and motivation she could become a 'Master of both'. At the very least she already had far surpassed most people their expectations when it came to her skills at firearms.

"Indeed, one of the regulations mention that killing a person, even in self-defense makes you lose your license. Of course, we aren't out to kill people, there are plenty of ways to shoot someone in a way that isn't lethal. In fact, with my medical knowledge, I know at least several locations where a shot could disable an enemy but not outright kill them." A gentle nod of her head followed as she soon clarified a bit further. "So combining that with ammunition and gear meant to restrain villains... In the past, there have actually been plenty of non-lethal ammunition you know? The police often use them during riots, those bullets still hurt a lot, and getting hit by one could still possibly knock your lights out if it's hard enough."

As they walked toward the paintball hall Elise mused softly. "Of course, combining it with my medical skills I could likely prevent anyone from dying if I shoot them as long as I don't aim for the head, not much you can do if a bullet goes through there..." A weak smile lingered on her lips as she shook her head to vanquish the gloomy thought and instead focused back onto the subject at hand. "While a handgun might appear small it is still capable of firing at a fair rate, especially if you're in close range you'll be able to do more with a handgun than a submachine-gun for example. Heavier weapons like a shotgun would simply have such recoil that you'd be blown off your feet, they are impractical to use without the proper training or strength to wield them. Even I, with my lithe frame can only barely use a shotgun because of the way I deal with the recoil." Indeed, it was thanks to her quirk that she was able to properly compensate for her lack of strength. "If this was a proper battlefield you would be correct, open plains and similar long distances with no obstacles would make a pistol less useful because they are used for close to mid-range, but if you take a look at the paintball hall."

She raised a hand and tapped it gently against the window to draw Haruto's attention while walking past the windows and deeper into the hall, fortunately there was no game being played currently and some of the lieutenant's subordinates who had helped her prepare the paintball games were eager to let them see the area and the paintball guns. "As you see the indoors area is rather enclosed, while there is a lot of space, there are also plenty of obstacles and walls, so someone with a handgun won't need to worry about range or rate of fire, you'd care more about precision and landing that first hit."

A few nods of affirmation followed as she mused softly. "I mean, you could go for a light assault rifle, but those weapons are rather wieldy for a novice, so you might find it difficult to maneuver with one compared to a pistol. A pistol is kind of easy to hold, right?"

She gestured toward the table where one of the paintball guns was placed, at one side there was an assault rifle variant, and next to it a smaller handgun type. "You can try to hold one if you want, but I think you'll be sacrificing mobility for firepower then, and in your case, that would be a bad idea. You're not exactly athletic like Tetsu, and I'm not certain if your stamina is on par with mine, so running around with an assault rifle would make you get tired midmatch, what would be a disaster."

It seemed that even if he might have ended up becoming a potential opponent in the paintball games later, she still was giving him advice in earnest! "But as long as you have fun, that's all that matters~ but I guess some people can get rather competitive, heh Darren was already getting excited when we made up the idea earlier, but anyways~ That's about all there is to know about the type of rifles that I think might suit you best. Any questions?" Tilting her head gently to the side it seemed the burgundy-haired lass at least hoped her advice would help a bit!

Elise shook her head lightly in response to Haruto's statement, her smile returning to her lips as she explained further. "It's not just me who has been thinking about this, I been talking frequently to sensei about finding methods to safely engage in combat with firearms while keeping the lethality rate as low as possible. However, just like you can imagine, it's not perfect. Even a Quirk can end up causing just as much, if not more harm than a firearm when it is used inproperly." Although Haruto had a point, in the past non-lethal rounds didn't have to worry about stopping people with superpowers, which meant that using them as examples would likely had not been quite so convincing in their nature. For a moment Elise couldn't help but frown and ponder for a moment. "Although it would be great if there was certain weaponry which could weaken or disable a person's Quirk factor, temporarily of course. After all without a quirk we'd be fighting on even ground then." Still, that didn't entirely clear up her doubts on terms of the issues that arose with using firearms. "Although..."

However, hearing Haruto's concerned tone Elise couldn't help but giggle softly at Haruto's train of thought. He was not entirely wrong, gun laws in Japan forbid most people from having a gun, but there were some regulations that were quite interesting to know, as Elise spun around on the spot and turned to face him. "Hehe, I can already see where your thoughts are going Haru~ Did you know that part of the clauses surrounding firearms actually permit certain type of firearms with a liscense? For example hunters, the type that hunt wildlife are given permission to use firearms given a strict examination to see that they are capable of handling the weapon, and then proper maintenance has to be given, like certain type of lockers to store them inside. However, you're right in the thought that this isn't like in America."

A few nods of affirmation followed before she curved her lips into a smile as she continued her explanation. "I have something similar, my sensei has quite some swing with the authorities, but I am only allowed to use my rifle during training with him or with permission from him when my life is threatened."

She stretched her arms slightly into the air while they conversed about the dangers of using firearms and the lethality of a bullet, in the end she knew all too well from her medical knowledge that the moment someone ended up getting a bullet to the head it was usually a recipe for disaster.

However, Elise smiled briefly as Haruto thanked her for helping him figure out what to do for his proper equipment choices. "No need to thank me Haru~ Besides, we are friends before opponents, besides it be quite lackluster if I didn't help ensure you are on your best when we face each other." The burgundy-haired lass stated with a playful wink "If you wish to practice getting a feel for the weapon, there are firing ranges for them right outside the changing rooms, just make sure to clean the dummies when you're done, it's really easy, just press the green button at the table and the dummies will get a nice cold shower~"

Seeing Haruto raise a hand and turn it into a fist, the gesture didn't go unnoticed and unappreciated as Elise playfully bumped her fist against his own. "But don't worry too much Haru, even if I can't forgive that man for what he did, I still took up this training in order to protect, to save people. That won't change, I fight to protect those dear to me: the girl I love, and friends like you that I treasure."

Gently applying a bit more pressure on the fistbump she grinned sheepishly at him, turning her back toward the boy as she raised a hand in a playful wave salute. "Make sure to get at least one shot in~ So you can brag to Chi-chan about it~" Elise hummed playfully before stopping for a moment, looking over her shoulder and giving Haruto an earnest smile. "Thank you Haruto."

Words clearly conveyed with a warmth and kindness that seemed so genuine, as if the girl that wanted to become a physician and save people was still there, behind the desire to fight to protect.

"See ya when the games begin~"