Into the World of Twisted Wonderland

🦁The Usurper from the Wild🦁 Chapter 18

Once the four approached the sophomore classroom, Grim stepped up, getting the students attention. "All right, where's Ruggie Bucchi?!"

"Right here," Ruggie says, standing up and looking at the four. "Ah...It's you guys again," he says as he looks at Angel and Grim. "I really hope this isn't about that deluxe grilled cheese. We traded fair and square," he said with a shrug.

"Ruggie Bucchi," Riddle says as he steps into the classroom. "We need to ask you some questions about the spate of injuries that have befallen prospective Spelldrive tournament players."

"Oh ho. This sounds like serious business," Ruggie says.

"How about we move to the hall and keep this in the figurative DMs, if you catch my drift?" Cater says, looking at the students eyeing the five's conversation.

"I'm cooperating. Let's all try to be gentlemen, now," Ruggie says as he walks to the hall with everyone in tow. Once everyone was in a secluded part of the hallway, everyone nodded at each other, ready to start.

"Very well," Riddle starts. "While we do not yet know exactly what transpired, it is abundantly clear that your signature spell is a dangerous one. I will be casting 'Off With Your Head' to-"

"But Riddle," Ruggie interrupts, "are you sure you should be casting such a powerful spell without your magical pen?"

"Huh?" Riddle says as he looks at his jacket, his pen nowhere to be found. "Wait...what?! What happened to my magical pen?!"

Grim looks at Cater, his pen missing too. "Hey, Cater! Your pen's gone too!"

"You're kidding me!" Cater says as he looks at his jacket pocket, pen missing. "How?!"

"Syheheehee!" Ruggie snickers and everyone looks at him, holding two red magical pens. "Children of privilege, every one of you. So unprepared. So complacent. Like stealing candy from a baby." He says with a smirk and shrug.

"Myah?! He cats his spell to snatch your pens away without us even noticing?!"

"Puh-lease. As if I'd need magic to do that!" Ruggie smirks at Grim.

"He used his own skill to steal it?! But when..." Angel thinks for a moment and realizes. "Ah! He must have stolen them when we were walking out of the classroom!"

Ruggie only looks at her, shocked at her perception. "Yep, you're right. Gotta be more perceptive of your surroundings, you know. Anyway, having a showdown in the hallway is not on my agenda for today, so I'll be on my way. Toodles!" He says, running with the pens in hand.

"Hold it right there!" Grim says, running after him.

"Curse you! You will halt if you value your head! Off With-"

Cater and Angel stops Riddle before he finishes his sentence. "Whoa, Riddle, stop! Don't be a hero, man!" Cater says to Riddle, who only fumes with anger.

"Our main focus is trying to get your pens back! Let's go after him!" Angel says, and the boys only agree with her as they all try to run after Ruggie, trying to obtain the upperclassmen's pens.

On the other side of the hallway, Ace and Deuce are walking, trying to get to class from feeding the flamingos. "Dude, your flamingo-feeding outfit was insane. Who knew they made leopard print in hot pink?" Ace says, laughing at Deuce's outfit.

"L-look, it's not like I had a choice! It's all I had in pink!" Deuce stutters and sighs, trying not to feel embarrassed at the hot pink, leopard print jumpsuit.

"I can't believe we still gotta follow weird rules like that," Ace sighs. "But I guess it's better than it was."

Cater runs in front of Angel and Riddle, spotting the duo walking, smiling at them. "Oh! Ace, Deuce! You boys are a sight for sore eyes!"

"Huh? What's going on?" Ace says, seeing the three of them running. "Why are you running?"

"The culprit! He's getting away!" Riddle shouts while being red with anger. "You need to apprehend Ruggie Bucchi immediately! Housewarden's orders!" Angel only sighs to try and calm down Riddle before he gets any redder.

"Whaaat?!" Deuce shouts.

"What does this gotta do with us?!" Ace asks.

Angel could only look at them with a glare, trying it get them on board. "This is your chance to earn a spot on the roster!" She shouts, making them look at her. "Go get 'em boys!" She commands, making them only sigh at the command and try to chase after Ruggie. They follow the direction Cater pointed to where Ruggie is and followed it, eventually seeing Grim looking at Ruggie stopping, a bored look on his face. They join in with Grim, with Cater, Angel, and Riddle a few feet behind them.

Once Grim sees Ace and Deuce joining him, he smirks. "Myah! We've got you now, Ruggie!"

Ruggie turns around, seeing the new addition in the pursuers. He only smirks. "What, you think some freshmen and a weasel could catch ME? You're dreamin'. All of you look as slow as molassess- and I'm not talking about your runnin' speed."

Grim hisses at the insult. "I'm NOT a weasel!"

Ace only sighs. "Save it! We got work to do! I don't know what it is but Riddle and Angel on our case about it and we don't intended to make them angrier." The three only run closer to Ruggie, in which Ruggie only turns around and run, making the chase started. The three tries to summon some spells to slow Ruggie down, which proved to be ineffective since Ruggie is aptly dodging the spells, only running faster as the boys and Grim continue to chase after him. The four goes through twist and turns in the hallway, with the trio of Cater, Angel, and Riddle following behind as close as they can, not trying to lose the four. After a while, Ace, Deuce, and Grim start to slow down, catching their breath while Ruggie only watches them and stop, a smirk on his face.

"I thought you boys at Heartslabyul guys were nothin' but a bunch of tea-partying softies, but y'know something? Color me impressed. I take it all back!" Ruggie says, holding his hand on the back of his head as he watches the three catch their breath.

"Keep talkin'. I'm this close to wiping that smug grin off your face," Deuce says as he collects himself.

"Would you just let us nab you already? I don't want to lose my head again, thanks!" Ace says as he readies his pen.

Ruggie snickers at them. "If you want me so bad, then maybe you should work hard to catch me!" He starts running again, making the chase continue. After a while of chasing, the three had enough running, their exhaustion coming up, and decided to try and throw one spell that is sure to slow him down.

"How do you like THIS?" Deuce says as he points his pen to Ruggie, a cloud forming a little before his head before the cauldron falls. The spell caught Ruggie off guard, making him stop and avoid the cauldron, barely dodging by a hair.

"Yipes!" Ruggie yelps, seeing the cauldron land just a feet away from him with wide eyes. "O-okay, yeah...maybe that one was a little fur-raisin'..." He says as he collects himself. "...But unlike you guys, I'm not on my last legs! Byeee!" He runs away from the three, who only look at him in shock as they catch their breath.

"Hah...Hah....H-how's is he not even winded after all that running?!" Ace says between breaths as he watches Ruggie leave, trying to follow him regardless.