I Don't Own Pokemon

I've always loved a good mystery, being honest, I usually figured it out before the end reveal but it was always fun in a way to stretch my mind out and try to solve the complex puzzle of human motivations and other such things. Puzzles by themselves also were ok, but they got boring quickly, more just to do to do than to enjoy. I think that's the reason I got so into this one, beyond the fact it was my first real case, even if it was just assigned by me, I liked it. I liked the idea of it.

"Iris start recording, Khione and Charon keep a look out" Breaking into a lighthouse honestly was not that hard. Sure there was security, but I was just better than them and no one was in the actual lighthouse itself. It wasn't even a brag, they were basically just paranoid mall cops and I was a genius twelve year old trained in being able to erase my presence basically completely when I wanted to and had recently got a lot of experience in climbing and general free running, with weeks of time even before the break to study the way the guards moved out on the island.

Realistically they stood no chance and that's all there was to it as I watched as my Pokemon moved about, Khione basically vanishing if it wasn't for how well I could track her, while Charon floated up to a high point to get a look out form above as Iris moved about to spin around my head to keep the camera on. I was mostly doing it for the audio and to document anything I saw in order, cause I'd get that messed up when I was focusing on something else, but Iris really liked taking photos of me and others, and the same was for recording when he got to do it, so I didn't bother saying anything.

Besides, I could have a bit of fun with it as well since I was here to itch the almost burning interest and curiosity in me at what had happened here.

Still, I was only in the entrance at the moment as I looked out into the main room, it had a number of clear rusting pipes moving up and along the walls and parts of the floor, clearly someone had changed this place into a maintenance area to check up on other things on the island with how many gauges and nozzles were around the room on the walls.

The floor itself was slightly muddy, clear foot prints being able to be made out from the outlines of mud as I hummed to myself before calling out to Iris.

"Check weather reports, was it raining the day the break in happened in this area?... And also take a picture of these four and run them through a shoe sprint site after you know it was raining" I moved along as Iris looked up the information, once more glad the Pokemon was with me, even if he didn't battle, he was so convenient at times like this, not to mention he was pretty funny, even if his entire humor was based on just showing me memes.

Looking about though, I hummed to myself as I thought a few things over in my head as I looked about. There was a ladder heading up the lighthouse wall, which I could climb but I figured most of the clues would be around here, though I will check it out later, there wasn't much around here, expect...

I moved over a bit and frowned as I crouched down and looked at a large blood stain, right, this was an actual fight, the guards almost died... But for what? What were the two robbers looking for in here? Better yet how did they get in here? There was an electronic lock on the door to the lighthouse, I had to have Iris go into the thing to give me access, but Rotom were rare in Unova, not impossible sure and there are other Pokemon who could do it but... It was unlikely at the very least.

So how did the get in, what were they looking for, and why were they looking for it in the first place.

"Found Match" I turned away from the dried up red stain on the floor as Iris flew over and showed me the results, I felt my eyes widen a bit at what I saw. Interesting. It took me a second to remember I was having Iris record so I could talk out loud so I could hear it back later as I coughed a bit, suddenly a bit weird about the idea, because it just felt a bit weird to talk to myself, but I started up, and soon the words just spewed out as I did that instead of thinking.

"Ok, so there are five sets of footprints, only two were reported, and there was two guards, judging by the weather report here even if the cops showed up the right at the start of the next morning, which would have been hard with how boarding would have been to get to the island, that means either the two guards somehow forgot about a third person assaulting them, or someone came in afterwards, meaning they also had a way on the island, after everyone was put on alert... I see two possibilities"

I took a deep breath, turning a bit to look at the blood stains again, before continuing.

"Either there was a second attempt, one that wasn't caught as the person somehow slipped past the extra guards now stationed at the tower somehow, and didn't find what they were looking for, maybe they did but I'll assume not, and then somehow got off the island all without being noticed... Or someone on the island is the reason how those robbers got here. This place needs a keycard to get into, and I doubt anyone but other security here would have it. This leads me to believe in option two being the most likely"

I frowned to myself at that as I continued to stare at the dried blood.

"Which means in conclusion, there is someone here on the island who was comfortable getting two psychos here who almost killed two guards. And no one knows who they are, and the only lead I have is they had to have access to the Lighthouse, but even then I can't just assume it's another security guard because of all this pipeage means that any maintenance worker might also possibly have access to this place as well... I'll have to make a list of suspects and then build out from there before beginning to eliminate the most unlikely before working my way in from there"

The thought process of how I'd do that stopped me from talking anymore for a long moment, because I was thinking to quickly now for my own words to be able to keep up as I continued to stare blankly ahead for a long moment before making a decision to myself. I wanted to solve what the hell was happening. I had about three and a half months of school here before the last week of exams, I had plenty of time to figure this mystery out, and besides, I hated the idea that there was someone on the island that could possibly be out to hurt the people here...

Ok, being honest, I didn't give a shit about most of them, but there was a trio in mind that I really didn't want anything to happen to, and I'd work on making sure that nothing did happen. It was a simple idea, but it'll take some time, mostly just getting the information to be honest, but I'll figure something out. I always do.

"Iris we got a long term project... so open up a new folder in my second notions file from the email account with my middle initial in it, and then open another four folders in there, label them as Maintenance, Security, Videos, and Generalizations. Your going to have to switch to my laptop for a while so both of us can look things up while I have a proper keyboard to use, but we'll get to that in a bit"

"File. Name?" I moved my eyes away from the red stains and said as I turned to look about the room a bit more after my mind moved over a few ideas.

"Label it... Case Two: Light house" I smiled a bit to myself, a small giddy feeling pulling ta my chest at the idea of it. It was stupid, didn't make any sense at all really, but I couldn't help but grin like a loon as I thought about it. It felt like I was creating a story for myself, something that I could look back on, something I could see I did, with steps and processes, and completely of my own decision.

The idea drove an energy in my chest that excited me in a way that made the itch in my chest dim down as I thought about just what the following few weeks would be like.

"Are you sure this is the full list of the staff on the island?" Madison just nodded as I hummed to myself as I quickly began flipping through the pages, my mind grasping onto the information as Iris moved over my shoulder, I'll have him scan them later to add into a subfolder, but for right now my eyes just rushed over the images and words, taking them all in for the time being to see if anything caught my eyes instantly before going through it with a more fine tooth look through.

"Why do you want that?" I hummed a bit as I turned to look at Madison, he had been acting a bit weird for a while now, but I had mostly just been ignoring it, I had gotten use to him being strange around me, but this was a bit different, for one he just went out and got the list for me, which was very nice, but a bit surprising that he didn't mention anything about it at the time. So obviously something was going on with him, I just had absolutely no idea what. It was kind of bugging me when I thought to long about it.

"I have a theory about the break in so I need the list of everyone who had access to the building in the first place to double check the people over" Madison raised an eyebrow at that.

"Your going to be doing background checks on the staff because of a theory?" I turned back and looked at him for a moment before saying.

"I get bored easily. Besides, if I'm right then I figured it's good to know that there's an idiot on the island. Sure it's just a break in, robbers aren't that interesting, but I don't really care about that to be honest. I'm more interested in why whatever they were looking for was important enough to almost kill two people. That's interesting" The man stared at me for a long moment as I realized a bit to myself I just mentioned out loud about my lack of care of human life... Hmm, I probably shouldn't have said that.

Then again, I haven't really slept well in a while, I just keep waking up for... reasons, so my head was a bit out of it at all times. I was still smarter than most people, but their was a delay there and my thoughts were sharper, much more direct in it's thinking cause I didn't have the processing power to waste with alternative ideas and thoughts that I normally did without thinking. It was weird. Like static in my head, where I could almost concentrate without issue, but if I zoned out then I was gone for at least a good while before someone broke me out of it or I completed a thought loop.

I didn't like it, but, well, couldn't sleep, so I just kept downing energy drinks to be able to function basically normally in the day and then just suffered at night by just power researching everything and nothing at the same time. It's worked out for the most part in the last week since we got back, but it was a bit much... Well I'll just deal with it when it's too much for me.

Or die, dying is also an option.

"Give me half the list kid" I blinked out of my thoughts- see, that was the zone out thing I was talking about- as I refocused back on Madison who was looked at me with a hand extended out towards me. I just blinked again before handing over the requested papers as the man sighed at my confused look.

"I'm your body guard and work security on the island, if you think there's something wrong then I have to make sure there is no threat" Ah, right, this was his job. I blinked back to the paper in front of me, ignoring how the words seemed to want to move about a bit as I instead squinted at them and only just caught the mutterings from Madison "Plus I'd rather make sure you know how to do this right in the future, getting caught can get you in a lot of trouble"

I turned my squint at Madison before deciding I was to tired to really think to much on that at the moment as I took a deep breath, pushing energy back into my body as much as I could as I nodded, feeling the weight behind my eyes at least fade enough that I could read properly again as my eyes went back to quickly and effectively scanning over the pages.

I'll have Iris separate them into the two categories I have set up, maintenance and security workers, and then go through clearance and eliminate them based on that before continuing on to more in-depth search of these people and then see over time, once I have the numbers moved down to something more reasonable then the... eighty-six workers I had to sort through right now, if I can get a hold of their keycards.

Cause, after extension research on one of my recent sleepless nights and a bit of curfew breaking with Iris, I have come to the understanding that while the card reader for the lighthouse doors didn't have identifying marks, like each card is registered to a certain name directly to see what card was used, it does still record chronically when a card is used, and that data is also stored on the cards themselves.

So if I can limit these results down to say five people, manage to get the lighthouse key cards off them, get a scanner to read the data off them, and then compare it to what I gained from Iris copying the logs from the key reader at the light house, then I should be able to pin point exactly which card was used, and then by extension who went in afterwards and who had given the card to the people for them to break in, in the first place.

Of course there were easier methods, for one if I had records of who had been on the island at the time of the break in, then I could probably cut this list by the dozens without issue... But I had no idea where that information would be stored, and Madison without a doubt didn't have access to that, because there is a difference from using your clearance to look up the employee register, and another to look two weeks back in the work shifts when you weren't even working.

With the police also looking into the case, I figured it would be a bad idea to leave any little clues that might be able to be used against me if someone was smart enough to notice them. So I was minimizing my foot traffic in the ways I could by making it up in ground work that I could do without to much issue, it would just take a while to vet this many people, but I could do it, at double the speed now that Madison was helping out, because while he might think something else, I've been looking into people like a creep for years.

I've mentioned I have Madison's entire military record and his job application and resume on my laptop right? Ok, yeah, that was really weird and concerning, but it's not that bad. It's a bit weird sure, but to be fair I've done that for most of my guards, cause, you know, I want to know the person protecting me, and how to get away from them.

For example, while Madison was in the Corps, he was mostly on grounds work and while he has a number of strong Pokemon, his strategy mostly re- I'm getting distracted again!

Damn it... Well at least I caught myself this time before I went into a long rant to myself about how I could out think Madison in the long game and would be able to get away from him even if he brought out his team... Probably, I've never tested it, but my plans normally worked out so I was pretty sure I had accurate predictions... Fuck doing it again! Fucking hell, I can't tell if I should be angry at my brain or at my lack of sleep anymore for my issues!

Whatever, back to the papers.

"GAHH!" I felt the scream tear out of my throat as I fell, falling off something as I felt air rush around my body before in the darkness a set of two thick blue vines shot forwards right at me, my own internal screams and panic made external as I screamed as the vines slammed into my chest. The sounds of crashing wood and porcelain ripping through the air.

I failed, I missed, I. I.

I was going to die!

I felt my eyes shoot open as I gasped quietly to myself as I shot up in my bed, my chest shaking up and down as I tried to gulp down the breaths of oxygen as fast as possible, as I looked about for a second before groaning quietly to myself to not bug Richard.

Fuck, fucking fuck! I fucking hate my head... It's getting better, I knew that as I turned and saw that on the clock it read a bit before six. I got more hours of sleep in then I had in the last two weeks, but I ignored that fact, cause this still fucking sucked as I rolled my eyes to myself. I was being an idiot.

Reaching up, I rubbed my eyes for a long moment before flinging my legs out off the side of the bed as I stood up and walked out of the room, not making a single sound as I did so. I was getting better at the silent walking thing, I could do it on flat surfaces without thinking about it now, it was just instinct, and while I wasn't the best at it in wild areas, with tall grass and sticks and leaves, cause I still wasn't sure how exactly Carter managed to just flor through tall grass like she did, but I was getting better and better through just sheer stubbornness out of doing it all the time whenever I can.

Moving over, I looked down at the turned off form of Iris, he was 'charging', which I had come to refer to what he did when he was sleeping. I honestly didn't know if he did sleep, but I figured it wasn't really a big deal so I just left him to it and moved back to the kitchen. Grabbing one of my bags as I went.

Sitting down at the lone table, I rubbed my eyes a bit more, trying to get my brain back to working order as I opened the bag up and pulled out a folder. I didn't have everything stored on Iris's drive after all, honestly I was better when I had something physical to interact with, even if I hated writing things by hand, so I normally typed it out then printed it, it still worked out.

I didn't really need to do things like this, I could probably recall everything important that I needed right now and not have to do anything but sit down and think for a while to work out the problem, but this gave me space, and something to let my hands play with while I worked over a problem. It helped me clear my head out and focus better on the thing at hand with visual reminders instead of getting lost in all the clutter in my brain.

It's like how people used big white or tack boards to put stuff on to see it all at once. I could just do that normally without the aid, but it helped me focus when I did have something.

So I just continued to look over the information I've gathered so far. I've managed to cut out all those I know wouldn't be involved, people like cooks for example wouldn't have been on the island in the first place without the students here, same with the teaching staff obviously, as well as a number of security with larger families, I was basing this idea off of assuming Vale's family dynamics of being close were more accurate to most people than mine was.

It had taken a few days past that to find the workers as well to check into shifts and other such things, but I had a timetable mostly worked out, not that it really mattered, but it was good to have on hand right now to find the ones of interest. Right now I had managed to shave the list down to twelve suspects, they were the mostly likely to have been on the island at the time, have a card that went to the lighthouse, and had a personality to fit the bill for it.

It took a lot of work, and being honest, my school work was being effected by it all as well. Not incredibly, I was still toping basically everything, but I was struggling a lot with homework and any time I had normally set aside for a class like item makin where I struggled, I was using in something else, so I was heavily relying on natural talent right now to grasp the concepts first time from Richard's notes more than anything.

Honestly the only nice thing that was going on right now that wasn't covered in my annoyance at classes eating my time away, or researching or stalking people out of pure curiosity, and the training, cause it was fun and my Pokemon really enjoyed it, was the weather.

I hadn't realized just how much I had missed that comfortable and coolness of the cold. Everyone else complained about it, especially Jan who was wearing at least three layers at all time, but she was from Hoenn, which was like one of the hottest and humid places in the world, so she didn't count. Still, I just missed it and it was comforting in a weird way to just be able to walk around and feel the cold breeze move past me.

Even now the room I was in as I browsed over the pictures and pages, letting my mind wander over possibilities in my own time, working scenarios out in my head every couple seconds before dismissing them in favor of other, the room was pleasantly cool and it gave me an energy I think I had been missing for a long while now. I think it was the only reason I hadn't faceplanted yet from exhaustion was the cold, giving me strength somehow in a weird way.

I didn't understand it, but, for once, I didn't really mind, it was comforting and I liked it as I leaned into the feeling with a deep breath before getting back to work. The thoughts and nightmares all gone just for the time being, as I let myself get lost in my own mind with ideas and things I needed to check on later.

It had been a while since that morning, I still wasn't getting enough sleep, Vale mentioned that a lot so I couldn't really hope to forget it, but I had long since adjusted at this point, it had been a few weeks now, almost a month, we were going into the second week of February soon. I was tired as always, but I had sleeping issues, not as bad of course, before that winter break, so it wasn't that bad, honestly the reprieve I had before the break made it hard to readjust, but I managed so I just had bags under my eyes now, a constant feature of mine, I didn't like them, but I couldn't get rid of them either.

I was currently waiting, I had spent the last few weeks marking more and more people off the list, Vale thought it was a bit worrying when I let him look at the big spreadsheet I had made at some point and saw the multipoint bullets I had next to each of my suspects which were filled with information I probably shouldn't know about. I think I made him a bit terrified of me from that, like, not really scared of me, but more that kind of awareness when you realize someone has something you kind of just didn't think about before, I didn't really get it, but I recognized the look from what I felt when I got judo flipped by Madison into a choke hold cause I spooked him.

I tried to be a bit more careful about it after that, it was clear Vale didn't like hearing me mutter to myself about why Jason Wiset couldn't have been the extra person because of how I had managed to stalk him and find reports of ideas of debt and by the psychological profile I made of him showed, while a guard, it was only because of his time in the military and didn't have the spine to try anything our of the line of his direct orders from what I found out about him.

I understood why he didn't like hearing about it so I was more careful after berating myself for thinking that it would be ok to just talk about. I should just put that stuff on him, he shouldn't have to worry or have to think about my fucked up head and my lousy morals... I'm not going to think about how my brain might be even more fucked up beyond just the ADHD or whatever stuff right now, I still get pissed when I think to long about it.

Anyways, thinking about my little habit of recently looking deep into the backgrounds of basically every employed person on the island, Madison was a massive help. I didn't really think he'd get that into it, but once I mentioned my research, cause I didn't really care to much of making the man worried, he knew exactly what I was capable of and where my mind went at times, we'd known each other long enough with me censoring everything for that at least.

Still, once I gave my findings out, he seemed to believe I was onto something and instantly called the police for the tip off, though they haven't done anything with that information yet, and I doubted they would to be honest. Not to be a dick, but it was probably just to much of a hassle just from clearance alone, we were on an island far enough away from Unova proper to be under the Coast Guards watch.

Which meant it was technically fed law according to Unova, but the island itself was marked as a part of Castilla city as well for taxation things, so both had jurisdiction but a lot of cross over on just who could do what, and while I didn't know law that well, I doubted anyone wanted to deal with that headache of sorting it out for what amounted to a minor break in that no one died out. Assault or not, it was unlikely to happen again, and without actual proof to give out, hunches just didn't mean anything.

Especially ones originally from a twelve year old, even if I probably was smarter than every person in the police department there, it probably wouldn't be a good thing to mention. Anyway, Madison had been a big help, he knew a lot about background checks, he had to do a lot of them in his time to see if someone was trustworthy in his line of work and to scout out dangers in locations before hand, I learned a lot more than I thought I would, even if he was an absolutely terrible teacher.

Like seriously, he was terrible at explaining things and the process behind them, never gave enough details or information, and basically just stared at my blankly whenever I asked a question because he clearly didn't understand why I wasn't getting it. Like, I'm really fucking good at picking things up, I can teach myself a dozen skills in a week if I really put my mind to it, but even I need more than a single sentence when it comes to something like location scouting and paralleled job checks.

So if it was anyone else, they probably either would have given up and let him do most of the heavily lifting or just failed at understanding what he was talking about and tried anyway. I was not anyone else and as such, with the proper amount of stubbornness I managed to figure it out and used such information accordingly.

But that didn't matter right now. i was currently on suspect four of twelve, yes in a month I've only cleared three people sue me, I had to speed at least a week on each to see how the interacted with others and if I could classify them as someone who would try a break in or something. Some took longer than others because they were antisocial jackasses who stood around on guard all day or I didn't have time open to observe them cause their shifts were during class hours, so I think I deserved some slack.

He was... shifty, like not obviously, he seemed calm and cool on the outside but every now and again that would break away to something when he talked to people. He reminded me of those car salesmen, even when my parents were renting one of the most expensive cars on the lot or just buying a new one to add to the number we already owned, they would always get that look in their eye and try to make the price just a bit more, or try to move the attention to something even more costly.

There were four main types of charisma: focus, vision, kindness, and authority. My parents oozed authority, I had vision, Vale would be kindness, but those type of people? They had a subbranch of focus, the type I personally referred to as sleezey.

He capitalized on things whenever they happened, in minor ways, when he saw something, I've noticed he'd remember it and when it was ever brought up, he'd use it to get something minor in return, a story about something interesting with the Pokemon for a trip to the vending machine, the fellow guard needed a bathroom break? Sure, go ahead, just get him some coffee on the way back and he won't tell anyone.

He was a favor trader. I knew plenty of them in my life, they were common underlings for the people who actually had power. But what he wasn't was someone with a big spine, his type didn't often rise above their station unless they had a healthy dose of confidence and more vision than this man had. He was content with his slightly slimey existence.

I could see the way he seemed to get a bit smug but not overwhelmingly so when he managed to get someone to do something for him. It was his personality, and he seemed to enjoy the minor way he could make people do things, but there was no... spark I guess, to him, nothing that I could tell would make him think about rising above and trying something crazy like a heist.

No, he was more the type to get someone to do it, and then make someone else check up on it later, if even that... He seemed more the type to burry his head in the sand after something went sideways.

Besides, after I mapped his shift load out and created a distraction, I then broke into his room not to long ago and his shoe size didn't match any of the prints I have on file.

So, with a sigh from my vantage point of a second story window as I looked down at the man, I turned to Iris and said.

"Strike him out, he isn't the guy" Shame to, he kind of annoyed me to be honest. Sure I've never talked to the guy, but I already knew we'd wouldn't get along. It was a miracle I've never punched out the teeth of someone like him at a business meeting or some related event. I just didn't like the way their type just clung to those in power and tried to manipulate them into things. Like leeches.

Seriously, if your going to manipulate someone, at least do be a suck up while your doing it. It was a pride thing obviously, I had a lot of it, and the idea of bowing my head and kissing ass to get a reward was something I'd scoff at for as long as I live.

Still I- I frowned to myself as I looked over my shoulder as I watched as Tomson moved up the stairs.

Both of us shot a look at each other for a long moment, him staring into my eyes while I let mine roam, he had a bag on him, clases were over at the moment, and there was no extra studies on this floor at this time, I would know, I checked. What was he up to then?

"What are you doing here?" I felt the need to ask the same question, but the way he said those words made the logical part of my brain have to contest with the loud angry part that liked to think about kicking midgets. Making progress with my temper or not, I still had no idea why or how this bitch pissed me off so much, but I didn't care, I was having a shit last few minutes, a wasted week of looking at the type of person I hate would do that, so I just spat out.

Why do you want to know?" His eyes morphed into a glare as I just stared back, I was to tired to really muster up the right level of anger to glare back and the progress really was helping. Vale had actually helped me out on it when I half heartedly mentioned being annoyed when I got pissed off so easy sometimes. I don't know if he really noticed if I sometimes just got pissed or not, but I figured he did cause it was Vale and he knew everything because he had a list of ideas to help right off the top of his head.

"Maybe cause your standing alone on an empty floor? I know your an arrogant psycho, but that's weird even for you" Oh I was the arrogant one? Ok, I mean, sure, I had my moments, but he was this smug little brat who seemed to find the only joy in his life when he one upped me, that level of pompous dick energy to literally everyone was not ok either! Though to be honest the psycho comment cut deeper than I thought it would, so maybe I snapped back a bit harsher than I should have.

"Yeah, like you can talk, I bet the only reason your up here is because you don't have literally anyone else to talk to so you spend your free time up here like that somehow makes your trash personality manageable" For the first time, I actually watched something close to shock and hurt stab into the smaller kid's eyes, before they were overshadowed just as fast before I even had a chance to realize I really shouldn't have said that, he spat out his own, much more cutting remark.

"At least I don't act like I'm some saint getting off his pedestal to interact with us normal folk like we're something to revel in by being so 'special'. Do you get off putting everyone down just so you can inflate your own ego by constantly talking about how great you are!" I wanted to punch him, because how dare he! He thinks I fucking like this cause I like being here?

I'm forced here, and the only god damn good thing about all this was those normal folk he was insulting, who were my friends! Not to mention I don't even bring up my 'greatness' seriously, it's either for a joke or someone else is talking about it! At best I just complain a bit when I get annoyed about how boring it all is, that's not bragging that's just the truth, it's boring and a waste of my time! It's not my fucking fault it's like that, but unlike me, he is a dick for no reason at all! He fucking chooses to be like that.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you angry at me because your jealous that you aren't smart enough to do much more than get mediocre grades in classes I could do better in since I was seven?" If he wanted to talk about how smart I was, then I'd talk about it and fucking lord it over him. Cause who fucking cares about all the shit I deal with because of my mind! Who gives a shit I've been pushed and pushed and pushed until I nearly exploded because I was a genius, who gives a shit I've never had any real choice in my life because I was born like this! Clearly he doesn't so why should I give a shit either apparently!

Tomson bristled up which anywhere else would have made me snort or at least grin a bit in satisfaction, but this wasn't what this was about, no before we always had people around or someone to step in before we actually went for each others throat. No one was here this time and so we just went for things we'd knew would hurt the other.

I didn't care about the fact that not even a moment ago I was thinking about how I was getting better with my anger, cause I was pissed right now, cause how dare he think he knew me well enough to talk about that shit!

"Sure keep bringing up your grades, it's the only thing you got going for you isn't it?! I bet without that mind of your, you'd be nothing, you are nothing but a arrogant jackass whose only personality trait is that they think their better than everyone else!" I felt my eyebrow twitch as I felt something ugly crawling up in my chest at those words. I was nothing without my mind? I... I thought of something to say, and I was going to say it, really I was ready to tear back into him, dragging up every personal thing I noticed about the guy from the moment I met him, but then I paused.

It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But damn it if I didn't at least try and catch myself. Some words that Vale mentioned sometimes ago filtered in as I grabbed onto my temper and strangled it before it got more out of control and I said something I might even regret .

"Yeah? Because he's a bit prideful, it's not like your the same and no one makes an enemy out of you like that. I think he just needs a friend" "Really now? Are you sure you aren't Cole Allister who complains that other people are stupid? That constantly has to be told and reminded that he actually has homework which he calls useless? Like messing with people just to annoy them?"

It had been months ago, I barely remembered that conversation, but the words just bounded about my skull for a bit as I finally took in a deep breath, forcing my temper down like I was flinging a hammer down on it over and over until my mind reset back to it's more logic driven state as I turned back to Tomson and said through barely gritted teeth.

"Look, I don't know what I did to piss you off, honestly I don't really care either, but you've been nothing but aggravating to literally everyone you've met since coming here. I don't really care why, but I've recently been trying really hard to not getting angry, so I'm just going to leave now and pretend this didn't happen before I snap and then kick your face in" I also didn't like hearing those parallels again between the two of us from the asshole himself.

Made me feel gross. I wasn't that bad... Right?

"Whatever" We both shared one last look before turning as I headed to the stairs as the dick turned and kept walking.

There was a pulsing energy in my bones right now, that energy that only came from being so suddenly frustrated and angry that you wanted to punch someone or something as hard as you could, but I held it deep and compressed that feeling deep in my chest until the fire burned away into another source for me to drag out when I needed it.

I also staunchly ignored any and all thoughts about that maybe Vale had a point all that time ago. Because I really didn't want that to be the case.

I really really fucking didn't want that.

Cole is going to be dragged through character development whether he likes it or not! Beyond that the plot has moved to the mystery side of things, which is fun, sure, not crazy action and stuff, but we'll get there, for right now I'm focusing more on the build up and character interactions with some of the minor cast as well as building up the island a bit while classes go on it the back ground. Tomson is clearly shown in that way in this chapter, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm bad at writing out arguments, I'm good at conversations I feel like, but arguments are hard because I have to not just go crazy with it, half the time I have to remind myself, these are twelve year olds who are petty, not a twenty-something year old with a degree in English who is very good at tearing people down. So things like word choices and phrases always catch me up a bit. Besides that, yeah, both of them are asses and don't really think to much about how bad what they are saying is, even if Cole is really mature for his age, he is also... well a brat with bad angry issues when he really gets going on it, even if it is rare, it's there and it can get bad, but he's trying to be better with is something. Beyond that... I don't got much more to add, so, See ya.