Clive Dove looked over his shoulder at his sister. She was sitting on the chair, staring forlornly at the ground. He felt sorry for her, but she had chosen herself to resume his research while she was gone. Cecilia Dove had been far more intelligent than Clive himself, but she would never show it publically. She was rather withdrawn around people, even Clive himself.
"Cecilia. You don't have to force yourself," Clive said to her and left. Cecilia's gaze didn't remove itself from the ground until Clive had left the complex, then she shuffled the chair over to her desk and pulled out her trustworthy pen that was nearly at the end of its ink supply. Calculations filled various sheets of paper that were scattered across the desk, but Cecilia had long finished with those calculations. She scrawled some more where she could find space, then stood up.
"Nothing more to do, m'lady?" Cecilia's personal maid, Larisa, asked. Larisa had been a refugee from a minor, undocumented Russian war and had been searching for jobs. Cecilia, who had recently joined the creation efforts of Future London, needed a maid to help her keep Cecilia's life in check.
"No, Larisa. There is nothing more for me to do here," Cecilia said coldly. Her accent was exactly the same as Clive's, only changed over to female, but nobody could ever hear it as Cecilia's voice was always emotionless. "I am going out. If my brother comes back, please inform him I am out."
"Remember, m'lady, not to mingle with Layton and his friends," Larisa warned. "Your plan might blow." Cecilia knew this as whenever Clive took a short break from his adventure with Layton, he would tell Cecilia how everything was going and when complications developed. Cecilia was always ready to change the plan, with her quick mind.
Cecilia wasn't known among the Family, so when she rarely ventured out of the laboratory, she would make her way there through the tunnel. Cecilia always removed her socks and shoes and ventured through the tunnels barefoot, and that was what she did again. When she reached the end of the tunnel, there was a part of ground where she could sit and put her footwear back on. Today, Cecilia was a lot more tense than usual where she walked and in areas where she would've slipped, she thought of the danger beforehand and held onto the wall.
"Good morning, Cecilia," Ward greeted her as she passed, but Cecilia didn't even grace him with a glance. Ward seethed but he knew Cecilia was no social butterfly. When Cecilia eventually got to the top of the stairs from the Thames, she was spotted by Flora Reinhold.
"Professor? Doesn't she look like me?" Flora pointed at Cecilia. Cecilia's dress of choice quite resembled Flora's preferred style, and coincidentally Cecilia was also wearing boots with stiletto heels which were near impossible to walk in.
"She does," Layton nodded. "But it might just be a coincidence." Layton's words rang true, but Flora pursued Cecilia anyway. Cecilia noticed Flora pursuing her and made a swift turn into a dead-end alley, where Cecilia approached the wall and turned round, catching Flora's eye.
"So," Cecilia said coldly. "Why are you following me?" Flora blushed, unaware that Cecilia had caught on with the following plan and also unaware that it was obvious.
"Um... what's your name?" Flora asked. Cecilia's eyes hardened over.
"Cecilia Dove. What's it to you?" she asked, avoiding insulting Flora. There was no point insulting a stranger.
"Oh... I thought you were someone else," Flora mumbled apologetically. "E-excuse me." Just as Flora turned, Clive jogged into the alleyway.
"Flora! Oh, there you are. The Professor's been worried. Hmm?" Clive caught Cecilia's eye, but he could only read that Cecilia was unwilling to show her emotions at that time. Flora noticed what looked like a staredown.
"Um, Luke? Do you know this girl?" Flora asked politely. After all, she wasn't butting into a conversation, right?
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do. The Professor's just coming, you should go see him. I need to talk with Cecilia," Clive said, his gaze unwavering. Flora rushed off and Clive walked over to Cecilia.
"So you took my advice, I see," he said softly. "What does fresh air taste like to you?" Cecilia wondered why Clive was asking such ridiculous questions, then counted how long she'd been holed up in the smokey stench of the laboratory.
"I... I don't know. Clive, please. They will think of this as suspicious," Cecilia mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable. "Please..."
"They'll all think you're my girlfriend or something. But I'll go. Goodbye, Ceci," Clive said and walked off, casting an apologetic glance back at Cecilia, who was now leaning against the wall, arms folded, glaring at him in her normal way. Clive smirked to himself and left Cecilia in peace. She lifted herself from the wall and walked the way to Chinatown, passing Layton's group silently. Cecilia entered the book shop, which she always went to whenever she was out. Maya was used to losing a fair load of the shop's supply whenever Cecilia visited, but the shop was overflowing so for once she could use it.
"Can I see the books on physics?" Cecilia asked. Maya nodded and showed Cecilia the science section, waving a hand over the entire physics shelf. Cecilia loaded every book onto her pile and topped it off with an English-Swedish dictionary, then forked over 80 of her small section of the inheritance. Cecilia had received 1,000 while Clive had taken the rest for himself. He would treat Cecilia with interesting gadgets from time to time, but Cecilia rarely touched some of the gadgets, but others she used frequently, like her computer. Her phone was nearly untouched, only used for some important texts and calls.
Cecilia lugged the books for most of the way but a kind scientist on his way to the laboratory took half the books for Cecilia.
"Thank you," Cecilia said in her monotone voice as she took back the books.
"Och, well, ye really should git out mare often, Cecilia," the scientist replied in his Scottish accent. "Ye cannae hole yerself in forever."
"I know, Cuthbert," Cecilia replied, wishing he would shut up so she could go back to her room. "But I'm busy with my research - without my research, our plan would ultimately fail. I must go and study physics for the next experiment I have planned. I will hopefully see you at tea." Cecilia turned and, without a further word, walked off. Cecilia didn't run into Larisa on the way, which she was thankful for, as Larisa hated it when Cecilia piled the books up on her desk. She pulled out her chair and sat down, immersing herself in the world of physics when her phone rang. Her phone was a distinctive ringtone - nobody else had 'Spider Pig' as their ringtone, so she knew it was her phone for sure. Cecilia picked up without glancing at the caller - there was only one person who had her number.
"Prepare the fortress. Layton is about to figure everything out - he'll take some time in doing so. Check the heat signals - I'll bring a hostage with me," Clive explained.
"Got it," Cecilia answered. Clive wondered if she had 'got it' but he knew his sister was reliable. She had essentially created the ideas behind the fortress's mechanics, so she knew more of it than he.
Cecilia took the lift down into the river and admired the beautiful transparent tunnel that she had designed. She had made the blueprints, calculated the height and width and how much material would be needed. The tunnel was quite long, but it led to Clive's massive mobile fortress. It was more Cecilia's doing, but the siblings had collaborated on the fortress. Cecilia noticed that Clive had already positioned guards around the fortress, but only a few of the guards looked at Cecilia. She entered the control room and tapped a long sequence of buttons, then left to prepare a place for whatever hostage Clive would drag back. Not long after Cecilia had finished preparing the fortress, Clive came by, dragging Flora with him.
"Clive!" Cecilia complained. "I would prefer you didn't bring back a girl, but if you're going to, DON'T DRAG HER. You're ruining her clothes and according to my calculations that entire outfit cost about fifty to sixty pounds." Clive rolled his eyes and shoved Flora at Cecilia.
"Never mind her clothes! We've got much more important things to worry about. Now get her locked up!" he ordered. "Oh, and do it quickly. We haven't much time before Layton thinks of some absurd way to get into the fortress." Cecilia grabbed Flora's hand and gracefully guided Flora down to the Ventilation Floor, then without any hint of mercy, Cecilia pushed Flora into the cage and shut it, sealing the doors with a puzzle she'd made in her spare time.
"I'm sorry, Flora," Cecilia said, but the monotone properties of her voice made her sound anything but sorry. She turned around and was about to leave when Flora called out.
"Wait! Who are you?" Flora called. Cecilia turned.
"Who am I...? I am Cecilia Dove. But I've already told you that. Must I remind you of everything?" Cecilia asked boredly, leaning against the wall.
"But why are you doing this?" Flora asked.
"I'm doing this because my brother wants me to, and without my brother I am but an empty shell," Cecilia yawned. "If you've no more to ask, I have better things to do than stand around answering meaningless questions."
"Who's your brother?" Flora inquired, trying to get to the point. Cecilia stood in thought for a moment then excused herself for several minutes, and returned in different attire. One of Clive's spare blue hats (that didn't fit him), a shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, a navy blue jacket, a bright orange pencil skirt, blue thigh-high tights and brown boots.
"Is this enough?" Cecilia asked, reaching back and pulling the bauble from her hair. Her hair floated down and lay on her shoulders, shining in the artificial light.
"You're Clive's sister?" Flora suggested. Cecilia rolled her eyes.
"Well, duh! Why else would I be following him around like a headless chicken?" she asked boredly. "Now I've got things to do. Your Layton is already here, and coming, so I must go. Don't tell him of my relationship with Clive. I will tell him, when the time is right." And with that, Cecilia turned and walked away.
"Mistress Cecilia!" Larisa called, her voice slightly muffled by the fact she was covering her mouth. "Come here!" Cecilia, from amidst the smoke and wreckage, had been gathering her folders and endangering her life, but she'd stuffed everything of importance into her rucksack.
"I'm coming!" she called, running to Larisa. The maid pulled Cecilia out through a door. Don Paolo's flying machine was sitting out and Cecilia dived into it, followed by Larisa. Cecilia needed only one glance to figure out how the mediocre controls worked and she flew herself down to the grounds of London. Cecilia grabbed Larisa's hand and rushed over to the area where 'Future London's' citizens were gathered, along with Inspector Chelmey and Constable Barton. Cecilia blended in instantly and lost Larisa, but she didn't care. Cecilia could see no sign of Clive and looked up at the fortress. A car was flying down - wait. Cecilia grinned at the good piece of machinery then caught sight of Clive in the back seat and let out a relieved sigh.
"Ceci!" Cecilia's one and only friend, who she rarely saw and mostly texted, Paige, ran over. "Oh, good. You're safe!"
"Of course I'm safe. But my brother..." Cecilia frowned. "I'm not sure about him. He was in that flying car."
"Why not go over and see?" Paige suggested. Cecilia nodded, briefly thanked Paige and then ran over to where the car had landed. Instead of finding her brother, Clive found her.
"Cecilia!" he called. Cecilia spun round to see Clive, tired-looking and a bit messy, but still fine. Cecilia's eyes lit up and she ran at Clive, greeting him with a hug. The last time Cecilia's eyes had lit up was when she and Clive had been with Constance Dove, and Constance had helped Cecilia finish her first invention: the E-Diary. A diary only opened by your fingerprint, then written in special multicoloured ink. That had been a great many years ago.
"Are you alright?" Clive asked, drawing away.
"I'm fine... But what's more important is, are YOU alright?" Cecilia questioned.
"Me...? I'm okay. But I need to go talk with Layton. I'll see you later," Clive said, giving Cecilia a sad smile. He turned and walked away and Cecilia felt the urge to cry, but she couldn't. She was Cecilia Dove, the hardest and most emotionless girl in all of London.
Cecilia Dove couldn't cry. But on that fateful day, she sank to her knees and cried, the first time she had cried since she was two years old.
