Twisted Wonderland: The Experiment

Heartslabyul: 1.9

3rd POV
While the group was on their way to the library, Yuu suddenly groaned and stumbled, nearly falling to their knees if Deuce and Ace didn't grab an arm each. "Whoa, hey, you ok? Wait, scratch that, stupid question, what's wrong?" Jack was in front of them, kneeling down to look them in their eyes with concern, Ace and Deuce sharing the same look.
After a moment of whatever happened to them passes and they straighten up slowly. "Nothing, I'm fine."
Grim glares at them and says, "Bullshit henchman! Now what is going on with you! This is the second time this has happened, and this is the worst one yet." They look away slightly, and Grim narrows his eyes at them and he says, "This is only the second time, right?" There's a moment of pause before they shake their head no. "When else did this happen!?" They all yell at them.
"In the middle of the night, after we had returned to Ramshackle." They hang their head and rub the back of it. "It's so weird, it's like it happens at random and I don't know what it means or what to do." They pause, before looking up with a somewhat hopeful look. "Is that normal here?"
The three boys share a look before they all shake their heads. "Headaches aren't weird, but to the point where you almost collapse and it appears out of no where and disappears just as fast?" Jack gives a concerned look and shrugs his shoulders. "Basically unheard of."
Yuu sighs, before shaking themself out of it looking up determinedly. "Well, we can figure it out after we confront Clover-senpai." They see everyone else giving them unconvinced looks and raise their hands up innocently. "I promise, ok? I'll even go to Crowley and ask about it." They exchange looks before nodding their heads, and they give the group a thankful smile. "So, let's "talk" to Clover-senpai, shall we?" They give a sly smile and they all enter the library.

༺༻

About half an hour later the group hears the library doors open. Jack nudges Ace, who had fallen asleep while waiting. They get up from the table they'd been waiting at, and walk up behind Trey, who was putting the cookbook back.
"Clover-senpai."
He jumps, before looking behind to see everyone looking at him with stern looks and crossed arms. He sighs before muttering with a less than enthusiastic tone, "It's you guys..."
Deuce speaks up again. "We figured you'd come to the library to return the cookbook for the mont blanc and camped out here."
"We really can't agree with the way Riddle is doing things." Ace says, glaring up at Trey sternly.
"Clover-senpai, the way he runs things is tyrannical." Yuu speaks up. "Everyone is scared of him."
"No one can even breath without worrying they're breaking a rule about how any breaths they can take per minute. It's ridiculous." Jack says, leaning against the bookcase nearest to the end.
Trey rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the ground with a guilty look as he pauses before saying, "I bet."
"What do you really think about him?" Ace leans down to look him in the eyes, still glaring. "Since you were kids have you always been to subservient to him?"
He looks up with a shocked and asks, "Who did you hear that from?"
"From a guy named Che'nya." "Really enjoyed Jack's company, couldn't get off of him." "Oi! This ain't 'bout me!" Deuce, Yuu, and Jack say.
Trey pauses before sighing under his breath. "Che'nya...Ah, that guy. Also, apologies on behalf of him, Jack." He glances at said boys, who waves his hand like 'it's fine'.
"Aren't you also older than Riddle?" Grim says from Yuu's shoulder. "Just get angry at him."
Trey chuckles sarcastically and says, "I'd do it if I felt necessary. But..." he trails and regains a guilty look. "I can't bring myself to scold him."
"Why?!" Ace practically shouts, making Jack and Yuu shush him.
Trey looks at the whole group before sighing and he begins to explain. "Everything Riddle is was "made" by following strict rules." Deuce makes a confused face and sound. "In his homeland, there isn't a single person who hasn't heard of his parents, as Healers they're that famous. His mother is especially exceptional and she wanted Riddle ot be exceptional as well. So from dawn till dusk his every move was decided for him, down to the smallest thing, as part of his study program." "Down...to the smallest thing?" Grim sounds scandalized as his eyes widen. "From what he ate, what he wore, what he consumed, to his friends, everything was decided for him. Nevertheless, Riddle never said a word and strived to meet those expectations and completed his unique magic at age 10." Everyone's eyes widen. "On top of that, he maintained his spot at the top sice elementary school." He sighs and quietly says, mostly to himself, "I can't even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been."
Everyone is quiet, sharing glances of varying emotions. He address the group as he seriously says, "Riddle thinks being bound by strict rules is for one's own benefit. He was bound by harsh rules and still became a leader so he believes it works for anyone. That anyone can become like him. And that means breaking the rules is utterly unacceptable. I mean..." He sighs, and shrugs his shoulders in a somewhat defeated way.
"If he gives rule violating any sort of positive reaction, it means going against the way he was made...right?" Ace finishes, crossing his arms.
Trey pauses before nodding. "I understand why you think he's a tyrant. And that his way of doing things is incorrect. But for me...I just can't bring myself to scold him."
Grim, Yuu, and Deuce look on in sympathy. Grim let's out a whine as Deuce says, "To think Riddle has a past like that..." "It's heartbreaking." Yuu agrees.
Ace however, kept his upset look. After a pause, he says, "After hearing all this, I finally understand." Jack nods his head in agreement, having a stern look. The other four look at them confused. "The way Riddle is now, is your fault."
..."EH!?!"
"Riddle had no say in who is parents were. But you've at least thought that they were wrong fro a while right?" Trey stumbles over his words before Ace continues. "If you think Riddle is making the same mistakes his parents did, say so. Put him on the right track. What have you accomplished by feeling sorry for poor RIddle and indulging him? You're just going to watch while he becomes hated and isolated from everyone?"
Trey has a stern but upset look as Deuce and Yuu tries to make Ace stop. But no. "Or what? Are you keeping quiet 'cause yo're afraid of losing your head? Lame!!" He gives a sarcastic smile before he goes back to serious. "You're not childhood friends. You can't even call yourself his friend!"
Trey sighs aggravated before saying, "It's not that simple Ace!"
"Yes, it is."
The group looks over at Jack, who finally speaks up again. "It really is, Trey. I'm literally in ya very position as we speak." He pushes off the bookcase and walks up to Trey with crossed arms and a serious look and tone. "I've got a friend who's in a very similar situation to Riddle." He pauses to think about his next words. "They have parents who's always pushin' them beyond belief, all while they coddle their older sibling over doing nothing. Their folks don't care about them, just their perfect older sibling that they always compared to." He gets right up in Trey's face. "But ya wanna know somethin'? I actually help them." He leans back a bit a continues. "I give them a palace where they can relax, where they don't hafta fake who they is, even if just for a few hours before they's gotta to go back! I give them time where they don't have to think about their shi-!"
"HEY!" Everyone jumps, Jack jumping away from Trey. They all look over and see Crowley glaring at them. "YOU ALL! BE QUIET IN THE LIBRARY!!!"
Everyone glances at each other unsurely before Yuu sighs. "Sir, you are literally the loudest here right now." They give him a deadpan look and crosses their arms. Grim looks at them, before turning to Crowley and copying Yuu.
Crowley pauses, sees everyone giving him deadpans looks, and says, "I see." He coughs before straightening up. "Apologies. But my goodness," he places his hands on his hips like a sassy lost child and gives the group a stern look, "the library is for quietly studying or reading."
The group exchanges tense looks as they mumble apologies. "But in any case, what're you doing here Headmaster?" He blinks a few times before Yuu sighs and says, "Are you here to figure out a way for me to get home?" They asked in such a way that they were obviously trying to give Crowley an excuse.
"Yes! Precisely!" He points at Yuu with a smile and says, "I've been working effortlessly to get you home." The group once again exchanges looks, but they say 'I call bull'. "But enough about me, what are you all doing here with such grim faces?"
The group, for the third time since Crowley got there, exchanged looks, Jack having more of a stern glare at Trey. "About that..." Deuce begins to explain.