Chapter 48: Nothing to Gain, Nothing to Lose
Jethro’s eyes fluttered open, a familiar scent of aether and antiseptic stinging his nose. He lifted his head with effort, slowly pulling himself to a sitting position.
On his lap, Scorch was curled warmly, deep in sleep. Jethro sighed. "Another visit to the healthpost in only two days. My account is not gonna survive this...
"Eh, I’ll just add it to my queue."
His gaze shifted leftward, and to his surprise, he found someone standing there, looking down at him impassively.
It was Kaden Steelmark, the handsome Head of House with the ponytail resting on one shoulder and his Bolt Hopper perched on the other.
Jethro couldn’t think of any reason why so he just asked the question.
"What are you doing here?" he said, head drawn slightly backwards.
"What did I tell you about this place, kid?" Kaden asked, his voice angrier than Jethro anticipated. "What part of staying clear of trouble and avoiding clashes with high ranks did you not get?"
Jethro’s eyes slowly widened, glistening with recognition. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere," he murmured. "You’re the guy who spoke to me during the license sharing."
"And it looks like you didn’t listen to a single word," Kaden snapped. "First day of school and you punch a Class A Black-Rank tamer. What do you have, kid? A deathwish."
"He was making fun of Scorch. I was defending my mechbeast," Jethro shot back.
"Your Red Lizard is the lowest ranked mechbeast in Beastcorp Academy’s history," Kaden retorted. "He’s meant to be made fun of. That’s how it works, kid. That’s how life works. What you’re also meant to do is take it.