A/N: I am very sorry, old readers. I just... I need to get these ideas on paper(digital or not)! I've been watching Professor Layton walkthroughs lately and... Well, here is Olivia, my OC. Isn't it refreshing to have something else from me than self-inserts?
New readers... This is my first PL fic. Not a first fic over all. I hope you are gentle with me. Nice to meet you all. :)
This chapter is a sort of a test. Let's see what you like this.
Chapter 1
The beginning of the story
It all began… Yes, when did it all began again? A young woman brushed her dark locks away from her eyes and looked up, out of the window of her room. In the distance rose rooftops of most strange fashion and above all of them towered a pagoda. This was the future. A stage play where everyone had a role to play. The woman looked away from the monstrous tower that made everyone in Future London quiver in fear. Everyone apart from some chosen individuals, one of which she, too, was.
"It all began over ten years ago." She spoke with a quiet voice. "When the time machine of the Institute of Polydimensional Physics blew up. When I got a new little brother."
Year 19X8, June, the Dove residence
"Young miss Olivia, Mistress Constance is asking you to the parlour." A fourteen year old girl looked up from her history book at the housekeeper who was standing at the doorway.
"Thank you, Spring. I'll be there at once." Olivia smiled and closed the book. She had already read quite enough for her up-coming history exam anyways. And she was excited to see who would be with Granny Constance. A new sibling that had been conversed about a couple of times during the last months.
Olivia got up from her bed and straightened her dress. Sometimes… It was quite tiring to act lady-like, but sometimes it was good act to conceal her real thoughts and skills. At this time and age… Well, some things were expected for her, especially considering her position as Constance Dove's heiress and adoptive daughter.
The girl left her room and walked the stairs down to the first floor where the parlour was. There, Constance Dove herself was waiting for her with a boy standing by her side.
"Olivia, this is your new brother Clive." The woman already past her prime yet regally holding herself, introduced the boy. Olivia took a good look on him. He was definitely younger than she was. Sandy-blonde hair, wide and round eyes… He was dressed neatly. White dress shirt, brown jacket, dark grey knee-length shorts, white knee-socks and simple black shoes.
"Pleasure to meet you, miss." Clive nodded. "My name is Clive Marshall."
"Olivia Brandt. I'm glad to have you as a brother." The girl nodded back. It was clear that the boy had good manners. But not as good as she had by now. Olivia glanced at Contance who was smiling proudly at them.
"It is perfectly fine to identify with your previous family name but outside of our residence I hope you show united front as Doves." The woman explained to Clive. "The social circles nowadays…" She scoffed. "They expect so much of us."
"The snobs." Olivia sniffed haughtily, eliciting a small laugh from Clive. The girl smiled too. When she had first seen the boy, he had seemed so somber. Considering that he was most likely an orphan I she was… the loss of parents must have been recent.
"Olivia dear, why don't you show Clive around the house? No need for us old people to get in the way of youngsters." Us old people meaning Constance herself, housekeeper Spring, caretaker Cogg and gardener Shipley.
"Sure, Granny. I'd be glad to." Olivia led Clive out to the corridors. "You probably saw the foyer in the ground floor when you came in."
"I did, yes…"
"Great. One more place I don't need to show you. All the historical details muddle up in my mind despite my love for history." The pair headed for empty corridor that was full of portraits and mirrors.
"Umm… How long have you…-" Clive cut himself off before finishing the question. But Olivia had gotten the gist of it already.
"I was five when my parents died in a car accident. Slippery road or something. Then I was almost two years at orphanage before Granny Constance adopted me." The girl answered easily. "I like it here. I have education, time for extra-curricular activities, I meet interesting people… And there is no snot-nosed brats to steal my stuff like at the orphanage." That was both a warning and a joke.
"I know where you are coming from…" The younger boy in front of Olivia muttered. "I was at an orphanage only two months… But I didn't like it at all."
The loss was very recent then. But better confirm it anyways.
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Olivia paused. "Well, I'm not sorry to hear that you didn't like the orphanage since you are out of there now… But I guess you lost your parents quite recently.
"In April…" Clive nodded stiffly. "Our apartment was next to the explosion in London and…" The boy swallowed thickly.
"Ah, I see. I read about the accident. What the papers managed to cover that is…" Olivia crossed her arms.
"What?"
"I guess you didn't get a chance to read newspapers while at orphanage?"
"No…"
"Well, the thing is that information is being withheld. They mention that an explosion happened at Institute of Polydimensional Physics and the block next to it was severely damaged… But nothing else. No causalities anywhere. No cause of explosion… One could say it's so people won't panic but…" Olivia crossed her arms. "For me it smells fishy."
Clive gave a thoughtful nod and silence reigned in the hallway.
"…I want to investigate this."
"Huh?" The girl blinked.
"I want to know what happened and why. I want to know why my parents had to die!"
Olivia remained silent for a moment after the boy's outburst. Then…
"I'll help."
Year 19X8, September, the Dove Residence
It began as collecting newspaper articles that were suspicious. Anything that smelled funny to them. Constance found their interest amusing and thus humored them by giving the two several scrapbooks to fill. She was happy the two pre-teens were bonding. And thus Olivia and Clive devoted their time for their 'investigation' whenever they weren't at school or on the lessons of their private tutors. Likewise they decided to become better and better at their chosen subjects they wanted to pursue in future. Olivia with history and art, and Clive with engineering and journalism.
"Look at this." Clive showed a small, almost unnoticeable article to Olivia. "A man assaulted on a street and left to die."
"That's…" Whatever Olivia was about to say at first died in her throat when she read the name of the victim in question. "Hershel Layton?!"
"You know him?"
"Yeah… I went through some of my university options a couple of days ago…" The girl turned to riffle through some papers on her desk. For being a fine lady, she really didn't have her room look of the part.
"University? But you aren't even through secondary school yet!"
"Doesn't matter. Here. Gressenheller University. It's close to my school so I went to take a look earlier." The brochure was maroon of color with light yellow letters spelling the name. "It lists the professors teaching there. Hershel Layton is the professor of Archeology. Quite recent too, only got his name on this updated brochure."
"So you think this person is the same than the victim of this mugging?" Clive was skeptical. For understandable reasons. Olivia shrugged and leaned back in her chair.
"The name isn't most common one even though London is a big city."
Much more information wasn't found for a while after that. Not for lack of trying though. The biggest jackpot was hit in quite interesting circumstances.
Year 19Y0, November, Gressenheller Secondary school
Olivia loved history. She loved ancient cultures, their art and customs. Everything. Even war tactics were fascinating to her. So she shone in class, eager to answer the teacher's questions and getting her answers right. Even though she really didn't like Mr. Mal Ire. He sounded like he came from an army base and also treated the class as such.
"A class trip?" Olivia's classmate asked. Her name was Marcela Candela, Italian born girl, quite nice but a bit quiet.
"Yes, isn't that exciting? I've heard that Norwell Wall is a great mystery for historians all over England, and we get to see it!" Olivia gushed.
"But why us and why now? We are only a bunch of fifteen-sixteen year olds…" Marcela frowned. "I haven't even ever heard of Norwell Wall."
"Well, yeah… I read that it used to be a tourist attraction once in the day when it was found but when it became clear that no one knows what the wall is supposed to be saying… The hype died down." Olivia shrugged. "And Mr. Malire says he is going to give us a test that decides which one of us can come."
"Why?"
"I don't know, Marcela. It is really weird though…"
Back then Olivia didn't suspect anything. Especially when the trip to the wall was in the end just a class trip among others. Except that Mr. Malire had kept a very close eye on every student he'd chosen to take with him. And that there had been shady looking people he claimed to be an excavation group. Their tour guide hadn't been too impressed by him either. But nothing there had made warning bells ring in Olivia's head.
"Here, Clive, a present for you." It was a big rolled up paper that Olivia gave to her brother after coming from the class trip.
"What is it?" The twelve year old had asked. Olivia sighed.
"Open it up and see."
Clive did. Inside the paper was a big watercolor painting. Of some giant door with funny scribbles.
"Isn't it grand?" Olivia grinned. "That's what we saw at the Wall. I had to beg a special permission to paint this but I managed to wrangle it once our tour guide, Mrs. Teresa Darling, came to my side. And thanks to my photographic memory I managed to finish the details at school."
"It's great, Olivia. But are you sure you want to give this to me?"
"Sure, why not? You are my baby brother." Olivia reached out a hand and messed with Clive's hair, much to the boy's annoyance.
"Hey!"
Yes, there had been nothing wrong that day. But on the day after. And if Clive hadn't gone to look for Olivia, no one could've known what happened to her.
"Miss Dove, if you could please stay come to my office after the lesson." Malire told the girl at the end of the day's lesson.
"Alright, sir." It was weird. Malire never asked to see anyone after the lessons. If he had something to say he told in front of the whole class, mostly embarrassing or even humiliating the recipient of the message. Even weirder was that he wanted to see her in his office. He let no one in. Not even the cleaners.
So Olivia gathered her books and went to look for Clive and inform him of the new turn of the day. If she was late from the next lesson… Well, it was only literature. She had enough of those lessons from her tutors.
Olivia waited outside Malire's classroom for the man to dismiss his last class. Her day had ended an hour earlier.
"Ah, Miss Dove. Punctual as usual. Good, good. That is a good quality." Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"Thank you, sir…" Olivia was wary now. Malire never complimented anyone.
"If you'd follow me now." Neither was he extremely polite to his students. Nevertheless Olivia followed him to the man's office. For some reason he made her walk in front of him, with his hand on her shoulder and fingers uncomfortably close to her neck.
"Sir, could you tell me why you wanted to talk with me? I need to hurry home you see."
"You are a bright student, Miss Dove. Very devoted to archeology too."
"I love history, yes."
"And I saw you take great interest in the Wall of Norwell, too."
"It was fascinating, yes." Olivia tried to keep the man talking. There was no one on the corridors. She was on her own and until she figured out a good escape plan…
Tack tack… The sound of faint footsteps. Olivia could see an office door ahead. Malire didn't seem to hear the steps.
"Tell me, Miss Dove… Have you ever heard of the Azrans?"
Tack tack… The steps were closer now. Malire still didn't seem to hear them.
"I can't say I have." Olivia began. "But my eyes… Have seen a lot." She stopped and in his confusion so did Malire.
"Oh, sir… Do you see?
Do you see what these eyes of mine do?
Have seen so much, eyes old and new.
Same eyes with different people…
Different eyes with same people…
Oh, sir… Do you know?
Do you know what these eyes of mine see on you?"
Thwack! The man went down. Olivia turned around. Over the man stood Clive with lead pipe on his hands.
"They see greed and foul soul."
"Where did you hear that poem?" Clive asked wearily, huffing after the blow he just delivered on the man's head.
"I just came up with it. I needed to buy time for you. After all I hear everything I needed already." Olivia poked the man's head with the toes of her shoe. "Where did you get the pipe?"
"Janitor's supply room. Some leftover from the renovation last spring where they replaced the plumbing."
"I see… Let's get him to the office. I have a feeling we need to investigate more about this."
The Dove siblings dragged the man's heavy body into the office and tied him up with some rope they found from the office. Olivia decided she didn't want to know why the man had rope in his office.
"I have a feeling that these… Azrans are the key to all this." Olivia stated as she rummaged through Malire's desk drawers. "According to him Norwell Wall is Azran… I think. And because I have skills and interest in history and archeology. And he is shady."
"I see, I see…" Clive sighed, pulling a table cloth from a tea table and using it to make a make-shift gag for the unconscious man. "You think he was here to…"
"To get student for whatever Azran thing he wants to find. But if he doesn't work alone…"
"You are not being too hasty, are you now?"
"…" Olivia pulled an official looking file from the drawer…Underneath a fake bottom of that drawer. "I think I'm not being hasty at all. And even if I am hasty… Then it's for a good reason." She lifted up the file which was labelled by a date and place only: The day of explosion two years ago, Institute of Polydimensional Physics. And at the back of the file was one word written on bold letters: TARGENT.
"What?" Clive darted forward to grab the file. Olivia gave it to him without a fight. She wanted to know more about the Azrans Malire had mentioned. Especially if they were something archeological.
"Don't read it here, Clive. Put it to your backpack. We are taking everything we deem useful and can carry with us. And then we get rid of Malire one way or other."
"So you think that…" Clive opened his school bag and slipped the file in.
"That there is some sort of conspiracy going on? Yes, I do." Olivia pulled out several history books out of the bookshelf and put them in her own bag too. She also found more suspicious looking files that she decided to take with her. There also was a lot of paperwork. "Do you have a lighter, Clive?"
"Y-Yeah…" The boy looked up from the drawer he was inspecting. "Why do you want it though?"
"This guy was about sent some paperwork about me to someone… called Bronev. From the looks of things Malire is seeking a permission to recruit me… This envelope has my school records and all."
"So Malire guy and Bronev guy are…" Clive gave the lighter to the girl.
"Part of some sort of organization called TARGENT. If the files are to be trusted." Olivia nodded in agreement. "The information hasn't gone forward yet and I don't want it to either." She dropped the envelope in the metal rubbish bin in the corner and lit it up with the lighter. The flames began licking the paper eagerly.
"That also means we can't have him talking to anyone. Or anyone notice stuff has been taken." The boy pointed out while taking a look at the office. Then he swept a bunch of papers on the floor.
"Making a mess to hide stolen information… Why, Clive, one would think you are becoming a criminal." Olivia chuckled and began pulling books and files off the shelves and scattering them around.
"Anything to protect my sister." Came the answer while the drawers were being emptied.
"And this guy… We need beat him up good. Into coma or something." The girl frowned. "He is too heavy to be moved around so this place will do…"
"Break the lock before we leave so it looks like this place was broken into." A tea table was pushed over. Clive picked up his pipe again. "This pipe we need to take with us though. Less evidence we leave, the better."
"If people remember I was supposed to meet with him…"
"I doubt anyone will miss this man." Clive raised the pipe above his head and brought it down once more.
Year 19Z0, Future London, Olivia's apartment
"That was the real beginning. When we realized we'd do anything for each other." Olivia sighed and turned to tie her hair up. She took a look on the yellow jacket laid on her bed and frowned.
"Olivia? Are you ready soon?" A young man's voice sounded from downstairs. It was Clive. Just today he had sent a letter to Professor Layton in the name of Luke Triton. Just today would be the time machine demonstration in the real London.
"Soon. I just need to put on the disguise." Olivia yelled back. She grabbed the jacket and pulled it on with a grim expression on her face.
"Whoa, no need to manhandle that garment, Livvy." Clive had appeared on the door way. Olivia glowered at him.
"Why Emmy Altava of all people?" She asked. "I couldn't have disguise as anyone else?"
"She is the one you have most information of… And you can't age yourself for this. You know that. We went through it just yesterday." The younger of the two sighed. "It will potentially expose our plan… and Luke Triton is more willing to forgive Altava than you."
"I know. But I still don't like it. What she did… was unforgivable."
A/N: Alright. I hope this woke your interest. In next chapter is more about what Olivia and Clive found from Malire's office. And also how they will proceed from there. Naturally the story will proceed to the prequel games(+movie) and only then to the original trilogy. Most likely Lost/Unwound Future scenes won't happen for a long time after this chapter.
Wow, quite a bit of OCs in this first chapter. (plus some headcanons)
-Malire: Targent operative. Recruiting at Gressenheller campus. Now in comatose. His name is a play with the word 'malice' but the latter part is replaced with 'ire'.
-Teresa Darling nee Byrde: born and raised at Stanbury, works as a tour guide on her freetime. Used to have some sweet feelings for Randall Ascot. May be met at Monte d'Or. Name is a play with 'There is a darling' / 'There is a bird'. Enjoys birdwatching.
-My year system: I placed PL games in the 1900's but for the sake of the headcanons we all have, I have replaced the decades with letters. X-Y-Z. For me they are 7-8-9 but for you they can be anything. The 60's will be W if I happen to write flashbacks to there.
-Family names: So I have Clive as Marshall. I thought it appropriate for him. Olivia is a Brandt so now you know where the fanfic's name comes from.
-Servants: I gave Spring, Cogg and Shipley assingments! Woot! \o/ Of course there are some maids and such to keep up the manor but those three are closest to the Dove siblings.
I really hope this chapter wasn't too rushed. I sort of had a lot to say but they were sort fo fragmented... But... Until next time. Please review. It'd be nice to know if people are interested in this story and want to know more.