Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 1)

(46) TRotW: Afterschool Research!

The next morning, since they didn't have class on Saturday, the Heartsabyul along with Jonah gathered at the courtyard. Riddle had already explained the situations to Ace, Deuce, and Cater and all of them decided to join in the investigation.

"These are the reports of the victims. I've divided it into two groups evenly so we can cover much faster." Riddle gave Cater a brown folder. The orange-haired boy opened it up, with Ace and Deuce looking from over his shoulder. "Now, Ace, Deuce. Both of you go with Cater. Grim and Jonah will go with me."

Ace looked up to him. "Hey, how come Jonah get to go with you?" he asked, staring at Riddle suspiciously. "Shouldn't it be better if we go as one team?"

"Since most of the victims are Magishift Player, Cater and I know them," Riddle answered. "It'll be easier and quicker to find them if Cater and I aren't in the same group. So, we have to separate you." He glanced briefly at Jonah and Grim, who was sitting on Jonah's head, before going back to Ace. "Besides, I can't separate Grim and Jonah."

Jonah and Grim exchanged a glance then shrugged. Well, he had a point. Ace squinted his eyes. "Then, you can always be one group with us, right?" His lips pulled up a Cheshire-like grin. "Jeez, Prefect... You can just admit it that you want the captain all for yourself~"

"Wha-" The blush on Riddle's face became more visible. "H-How dare you to accuse me of something like that?" Ace was laughing out loud, Deuce snickered, and Cater just gave him a playful smile. He could hear Grim also laughing behind his back. Meanwhile, Jonah just tilted his head and asked, "What's wrong with that?" Which only made the others laughed harder and Riddle's face even redder.

"Haha! Okay okay!" Cater wiped the tear from the corner of his eye. "How about we start our investigation? We have a lot to do."

Riddle cleared his throat, finally regaining his composure. "Right," he said. "We'll meet again in Heartslabyul." All of them exchanged a nod and the two groups walked toward their direction.

"You really want to hang out with me?" Jonah asked once they were far enough. Riddle turned his head to the side, trying his best so Jonah wouldn't see the light blush on his cheek.

"Friends hang out together right?" he tried to reason.

Jonah rolled his eyes up, thinking for a while before smiling. "Yeah. That makes sense." He grinned at Riddle. "I'm glad you like to hang out with me."

Riddle still couldn't understand why his heart beat faster every time this boy smiles...

-----//-----

"Excuse us!" Ace announced when the three of them walked into the infirmary. About three people were laying on some of the beds. Two of them had bandaged wrapped around a part of their body. Cater looked around and spotted a boy younger, second-year, with bandages around his head. He walked toward him, Ace and Deuce following from behind.

"Yo! Tarrant, Thackery!" The senior greeted as he waved his hand. Two of the students looked up and immediately smile.

"Cater!" Thackery, the one sitting on the chair stood up and exchanged a handshake with Cater. "What's up?"

"Oh, we're here to ask Tarrant a question," Cater said, looking at Thackery while taking out his phone. "It's about your fall."

Tarrant, who was laying on the bed, whined, throwing his head back to the pillow. "That was an embarrassing day..." he muttered. "In front of my boyfriend nonetheless."

Taking a small glance to see Thackery's cute blushing face, Cater opened his recording apps. "So, what happened that day?"

Tarrant groaned, massaging his temple. "I don't really get what happened either. I was walking while talking with this guy... And before I noticed it, I fell down the stairs."

Thackery nodded. "Yeah... It's kinda different from him just tripping or slipping..."

"It's like my body just floated and moved on its own... I can't really explain it well..." Tarrant sighed.

"It just likes what Prefect Rosehearts told us," Deuce whispered to Ace who nodded in agreement.

Cater pressed his phone to stop recording. "Alright. Thanks, guys."

Thackery and Tarrant gave him a nodded before Cater turned around, looking at Ace and Deuce. "Okay. Who's next?"

-----//-----

"Excuse me."

The two Pomefiore students, who were returning their books to the library shelf turned toward the shorter boy. "Which one of you is William Hammond?"

The two students exchanged a glance then turned back to them, looking at Jonah and Grim like they were just some lowly peasant. "Who in the world are you guys?" asked the one with bandages around his right hand.

"I'm Jonah, and this is Grim," Jonah said, pointing at himself and Grim who flew next to him.

"You got injured the other day, right?" said Grim, pointing at William's bandage. "Tell us what happened."

The two students gasped at them as if Jonah and Grim just did something so vulgar. "How dare you!" the other student yelled. "His feelings are hurt right now because he trained so hard for the tournament but now he can't even participate!"

"How insensitive of you two!" William took out his Magical Pen. "You come here asking without even a shred of sympathy! I challenge you! Pick up that glove and fight!"

Grim squeaked and immediately flew to the top of Jonah, summoning his magic circle underneath him. "Oh! You wanna go? You wanna go?! Bring it on, buddy!"

"En garde!" William's friends also took out his Magical Pen, pointing it at Jonah, who just stared at the two seniors with a look that said 'Really? Are we really doing this?'

"Hurt him and it'll off with your heads."

Both of the seniors turned around and gasped dramatically. Riddle stood at the end on the hall, arms crossing in front of his chest, already holding his Magical Pen which glowed dimly.

"R-Riddle Rosehearts!" William's took a step back, his back pressed against the bookshelf.

Riddle walked toward them still with a stern look on his face. It was a bit funny. Riddle was way shorter that the two seniors, and yet they cowered before his presence. "We're here to find out about your injury," he spoke one again, stopping when he was close enough. "And I hope you cooperate."

William sighed. "A-Alright. You leave me no choice. I'll tell you what happened."

"Please do."

Willam was about to say something but his spoke up instead with the most dramatic voice Jonah had heard. "It happened in the laboratory. The cauldron he was using to prepare some potions suddenly slipped from his hands and it caused an uproar in the classroom! To top it off, the potion spilled all over that even the desk was so soaked! I was so surprised, goodness...!"

"Christopher! Are you going to narrate everything!?" William yelled at his friend, but Jonah and Riddle ignored them, glancing at each other.

Riddle looked up at them again. "Keep talking."

-----//-----

"Most of the victims said the same thing," Riddle said, putting the report on top of the Heartslabyul lounge's coffee table. "They claimed that as if their body moved on their own." He frowned. "I had a feeling that these were someone's doing."

"Should we investigate more?" asked Deuce from his seat on the sofa next to Ace.

Riddle nodded. "Yes. In the meantime, I think it will be better if we can watch out for other possible victim candidates." He turned to Cater. "You think you can find some of the top players?"

Cater winked. "On it."

"Alright." He turned to the first years. "We'll continue this after we have more info." The small group of pirates nodded. There were so many things missing. Hopefully, they would figure this out soon.