Supernova

Chapter Twenty - Gloves Off

I was getting no closer to finding a partner or having a picture of myself and whoever that might be hung on the wall. Demon was getting no closer to falling in love with me and bowing to me and finally agreeing to be my sidekick. More than that, him and Needles were getting ready to go out on tour, and if I didn't find a pair, I wouldn't get to join them, and I'd be by myself for a whole month. I whined periodically about this. Needles found it amusing, but Demon was always annoyed.

"I've thrown at least two dozen decent options at you," he scolded. "You're more trouble than you're worth."

"Nobody interests me," I sighed.

"Forget it." Demon flicked me on the head. I couldn't feel it, but I knew it wasn't gentle because it made my head jerk back. "Just pick someone. Anyone. As long as you're with us, I could not care less who you drag along. Everyone here got scouted. Nobody is a shitty choice."

Needles let out a soft laugh beside him.

"Oh, yeah," Demon scoffed, erupting into a laugh that lasted a few seconds as he tilted his head down towards the table. "Except for the little Claeson. The absolute fucking skidmark of The Academy."

"Which one is that?" I asked him anyways.

Demon pointed him out, with an extended arm and long clawed finger, making no efforts to be subtle. When I looked towards where he was pointing, I noticed that he hadn't been. The white blonde's blue eyes, which were brilliant even from across the room, were looking right back at us. We looked at each other a while. He didn't stand out any, aside from the fact that he was sitting completely alone, which not even the unpaired did.

"His brother came through here, and he was a fucking legend. Leo Claeson, remember?" Demon asked me. My eyes widened. "Anyways, he must have sucked up all the talent genes in that family, because that guy is fucking pathetic."

"How so?" I asked. Needles laughed more.

"He's like...a fucking toddler. No quirk control whatsoever." Demon explained. I laughed a little, but not for the reason he thought. "He's killed his last three partners, and a few others out on tour, and now nobody will work with him."

"What does he do?"

"Some type of paralytic," Demon said, shrugging. But his eyes showed a small flicker of something that gave away his feigned nonchalance. "Hurts like a fucking bitch. Hence the gloves."

I couldn't see his hands from where we were sitting. "Sounds impressive."

Demon shrugged. "You can have a twelve-inch dick and still suck in bed."

I nodded. That was a good point.

"How'd he get in then?" I asked Demon, continuing to watch this little Claeson from across the room, a gesture which he returned. He was watching me watch him, and he was not shy about doing so. Neither was I.

"His family funds half the school," he told me, motioning around to the room we were in. "They're a big fucking deal in Scandinavia." That tone came out mocking as Demon flicked his wrists and swayed back and forth a little, before shaking his head in disgust. "Pretty rough being the useless disappointment of a family like that though, huh?"

Demon started cackling and Needles erupted into some vicious type of laughter as well, both of them egging each other on and doubling over in laughter, leaning into each other, wiping tears from their eyes. I kept watching this other Claeson, blood and brother of the best of the best, someone Demon wanted me to stay away from, and he was still looking back at me. I could half hear Demon and Needles' mockery, but it soon faded into nothingness and the rest of the room fell away from me too, piece by piece. His eyes were ferociously loud. I needed to see them up close.