The Best Laid Plans
Disclaimer: We don't own the rights to the Professor Layton series.
Author's Note: This was co-written by me(SyberiaWinx, writer of the Disclaimer and Author's Note) and various others. I was originally working on this with cutiepie343. Then she just disappeared for months, before finally telling me she was ditching the story, with no real explanation. Her overall contribution to the story was about three paragraphs, which were largely edited by me. The whole overall story was my idea alone. Then Gatita101 stepped in to take her place, only to pull the same stunt. Given that cutepie343 has essentially purged her account, along with various other clues during the time I've worked with both of them, I suspect the two of them are one person who played me. After that, there were a few others who agreed to work with me on the story and then did the same thing soon after, including JadeVera. I have no respect for people who do such cruel things. Anthea Triton started writing with me after that.
I'm always on the lookout for more co-authors, though, and there is planned to be a lot more of this story. Please remember to review! This story took a LONG time to write, and as you can see, it was NOT an easy road. Taking a bit of your time to give your thoughts and state your favorite part means a lot.
Also, please be warned that this does contain some SPOILERS for Mask of Miracle. I should also note that while we do know some spoilers, none of us have actually played it. So, don't complain if something differs from the game.
EXTRA NOTE: This is one of my favorite parts. Also, for those of you waiting for the rest of "A Bumpy Ride", it might be a while. This site is going on a rampage, and they've taken down a LOT of stories unjustly.
Descole wasn't sure how long the trip took, but he was happy to take a break once it was over. He let Lando enter the ruins alone, knowing he could not go inside right after him anyway. It would be better to let Lando get a little ahead of him.
The ruins before him were nothing special, though with how many he had seen, maybe he was a little biased. And it wasn't like he hadn't seen these specific ruins before. He had searched them extensively, but he'd been unable to find much that would help him. The only thing he really needed, had already been found. He glared in the direction of the entrance. Found by one Lando Ascad.
Unfortunately, Descole was now not quite sure what to do. Following Lando here had seemed the obvious course of action, but what now? He couldn't let the teen see him. There was hardly anyone else around he could get information from, and even if he saw Lando with what he needed, it's not like he could steal it from him. This was only a simulation. Though, he certainly wouldn't mind getting his hands on it for a few moments…
He was so lost in thought, he didn't notice someone approach him. It wasn't until he felt a tug on his cape that he jerked back to reality and spun around.
No one was there. It took him a moment to realize that his cape had been pulled from significantly lower, and he looked down to see a little girl staring up at him. He almost panicked at having been seen, before he remembered that this was just a simulation, and being spotted by such an irrelevant little girl was hardly worth worrying about.
"What is it?" he asked, eager to get rid of her. He was not crazy about children, and her parents were probably around someplace. If they saw her talking to a masked stranger, it might lead to trouble for him. He could surely fight his way out of it, but simulation or no, he was trying to keep a low profile.
The child's eyes were bright with curiosity. "What are you doing?"
Descole did his best to hide his irritation, lest she start crying. "Nothing. What are you doing here, and where are your parents?" Maybe he could encourage her to go back to them and leave him be.
"I don't know.' Well, so much for that. Was she lost? That was really the last thing he needed right now.
"What's your name?"
"Um…" The girl thought for a moment, and he found himself looking at her strangely. Surely she knew her own name. "I don't know." she replied sheepishly.
"W-what?!" That made no sense! She didn't look the slightest bit afraid or different from other children, and her clothes were neat, clean, and of good quality. She did not look like an amnesiac or someone in unpleasant circumstances. Was she just messing around with him? But there was nothing teasing in her expression…
"Are you friends with that other boy?" Not noticing his reaction, the little girl continued talking.
"'Other boy'?" Descole could only assume she was talking about Lando. "Do you know him?" he asked, ignoring her question.
The girl beamed at him. "I see him here all the time, and sometimes he says 'hi' to me!"
Descole thought he was starting to understand. Even though he'd entered simulations like this before, he still did not know everything there was to know about them. "Have you ever introduced yourself to him?"
She shook her head. "Nope. I'm not really supposed to talk to strangers."
The scientist rolled his eyes. What did she think she was doing right now? "Then you probably shouldn't be talking to me, should you?"
Her eyes widened. "That's right! Bye, mister!" With one last grin and a wave of her hand, she dashed off.
Just talking to her had left Descole feeling exhausted, but at least he finally understood. These were Lando's memories. As such, things Lando did not know would not be there, even if they normally would be. Lando had seen this little girl many times, and he knew the sound of her voice, but he had never learned her name or anything else about her. As a result, the simulated version of her did not know them, even though the real version surely would have. Having done little interacting with people in the previous simulations, Descole had not realized this, and he cursed himself for missing something so obvious.
How irritating. That meant that gathering information would be much more difficult. Even if he met someone who knew all about the ruins he was after, he'd only be able to get that information if Lando had already gotten it at some point. That meant the best way to learn anything in this place…was to talk to Lando. Everything here was just an extension of what he knew. It would be more efficient to talk to him directly, rather than to find his way back to the boy's hometown and try talking to the people there.
Descole sighed. He really hadn't planned on letting anyone he knew in the present see him. The idea of speaking with anyone displeased him, let alone a younger version of that idiot Ascad.
But it really couldn't be helped. He had no choice.
With one final sigh, Descole started towards the ruins.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The adult Lando was completely hopeless, so getting information out of his teenage self should be a piece of cake. He was older and far more brilliant, after all.
The inside of the ruins were pretty much what one would expect. Nothing but big, old stones. Having seen so much better in his time, he couldn't help being disappointed. It wasn't just because he'd been through these same ruins so many times. He'd felt the same way the very first time he'd set foot in them, though the biggest disappointment was when he'd realized they didn't have what he needed anymore.
Descole made his way through room after room, the doors already open and the traps disabled thanks to Lando. He had to give that brat some credit for at least being able to make it this far, even if he'd never managed to discover the treasure concealed in these ruins. That is, the paltry treasure he had been searching for that his friend Henry had later found. As far as Descole was concerned, Lando had found the only thing worthwhile in the ruins.
As the scientist continued onward, he started to feel almost bored. How far in these ruins was Ascad already? While the puzzles and traps most ruins offered were hardly a challenge for one such as him, they at least provided something to do. Just walking through these familiar, repetitive rooms was beyond dull.
Descole had searched the real ruins from top to bottom not that long ago, so he was not concerned about running into any trouble. Even if he did, this was only a simulation. It hardly mattered. But he had failed to consider two very important things. The first, was that these ruins were slightly different than the ones he had explored, as they were from eighteen years in the past. And the second, was that even in a simulation, one could still feel things, including pain.
That was how Descole suddenly found himself groaning at the bottom of a small pitfall, the floor having given out beneath his feet. A sharp pain shot throbbed in his right arm, but he could tell it was not broken, so he did his best to ignore it and looked up.
There was a considerable distance between him and the hole left behind from his fall. If he weren't in such good shape, he probably would have been seriously injured. This trap was obviously intended to kill whoever was unfortunate enough to trigger it. Even if you survived the initial fall without injury, getting back out would be no easy feat.
For a normal person, anyway. Descole thought with a scoff. He was just beginning to try and figure out how best to accomplish his goal, when he suddenly heard a voice calling out to him from above.
"Hey, are you okay down there?"
The voice was familiar. Looking up, his suspicions were confirmed. Lando Ascad was looking down at him.
Just perfect.
"I'm fine." he said through gritted teeth. This was not how he'd hope their first meeting would go.
"Just hold on a second. I'll get you out."
Descole was about to tell him he could get out himself, when a rope was suddenly lowered into the hole. He still wanted to reject the help, but there was no reason to make this harder on himself. And besides, he needed to stay on Lando's good side if he was going to get information.
Ignoring the pain that throbbed in his arm as he did so, Descole quickly climbed the rope. He was surprised to see Lando was holding the other end. The kid was stronger than he looked. Lando seemed equally surprised with how fast he'd managed to reach the top.
"Wow." The younger man smiled. "That was pretty impressive."
"Naturally." Descole couldn't help but smirk.
Lando's eyes narrowed, but he did not appear angry at the other's response. Instead, his own smile became a smirk. "Modest, aren't you?" His tone was teasing, almost playful, but Descole still felt his face redden.
"A-as if you're one to talk!" he shot back, recalling the conversation he'd overheard earlier. How dare he call him out on his lack of modesty?
The teen laughed. "So, who are you?"
"Jean Descole." he responded without hesitation. There was no need to lie or hide his identity here, he supposed. "Just call me Descole."
"Descole, huh?" Lando grinned. "I'm the great Lando Ascad, soon to be a famous archeologist and adventurer. After I discover the treasure hidden in these ruins, anyway…"
The scientist watched Lando as he went about putting the rope away, studying the teen. Though he could see some similarities in their faces, overall, the past and present versions looked very different. The younger Lando had grown up wealthy, and he had not yet spent eighteen years living a rural life, working on a farm. His skin was lighter, and his hair was short and neatly cut. He was shorter now too, and Descole found that he had more than a few inches on him. This amused him, for some reason.
The teenage Lando's clothing was significantly different too. While his older self wore simple clothes that he could dirty without worry, it was clear Lando's outfit had cost more and shouldn't be worn while exploring dusty old ruins like these. He had on an indigo-colored top with a wide white strip across it, under a darker purple jacket with a lot of pockets. His blue jeans were accented by a black belt that matched his shoes. An orange scarf tied around his neck completed the outfit.
It's truly a shame his older self didn't at least remember his fashion sense.
Lando quirked an eyebrow at him. "What?"
"I was just thinking that your outfit is so…different." Deep in thought, he had replied without thinking. He quickly realized his mistake and looked up, nervous.
Lando just smirked. "'Different'? Look who's talking, Phantom of the Opera."
Descole's face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He didn't care if the teen was only teasing him. No way would he stand for such insolence!
But before he could say anything, Lando continued. "So, what are you doing here, anyway?" He suddenly glared. "You're not after the treasure, are you?"
Descole sighed, his anger quickly fading in the face of the younger man's stupidity. "I came to study the ruins." he lied easily. Well, it wasn't a complete lie.
The teen seemed pleased with his answer, and his eyes shimmered with excitement. "That's great! No one else around here likes to do stuff like that. Most people think I'm crazy for coming out here and exploring some shoddy ruins, especially since my family has so much money." His face reflected a mixture of sadness and irritation as he spoke, and though he wasn't going to admit it, Descole could relate. The only person who even remotely shared his interest in archeology was Layton, and they could hardly sit down and talk about it or go checking out ruins together. Descole wanted to ask why Lando didn't do these things with Layton, though, as they were clearly good friends, but he knew there was no way he could explain knowing any of that.
"It should hardly matter if anyone else likes the same things you do." Descole found himself saying. "Companions only cause trouble and seek to steal what is yours. It's much better to be on your own.
Lando gave him a quizzical look. "Is that your way of saying you don't have any friends?" It was an insulting question, but his face was surprisingly sincere, as though he were genuinely unaware of this.
Nonetheless, the scientist glared at him. "I don't need friends. As I just said, they only get in my way. Besides, no one is capable of understanding my goals."
"I could be your friend."
This caught Descole by surprise, but he quickly scoffed and looked away. How pathetic did this kid think he was? "Were you not listening?"
"Yeah, yeah. I heard you." Lando waved his hand dismissively. "You're too stubborn to admit you don't like not having any friends."
Descole grit his teeth, hands clenching into fists. "I do not need friends!" he hissed venomously. "And I most certainly don't need a little brat like you."
Lando looked stunned. Descole smirked, wondering if he would cry. But the teen just glared at him. "'Little brat'?!" he repeated, incredulous. "This 'little brat' just saved your life!"
"My life didn't need saving!" the older man shot back. "I was doing perfectly fine before you showed up!"
Lando gave him a smug look. "So, you meant to trigger that obvious trap? You know, the one this 'little brat' had to help you out of?"
Descole's anger flared, his body shaking as he put all his effort into not strangling this annoying teenager. "Why you-" His retort was interrupted by a ghostly moaning sound that reverberated throughout the room. It sounded like it was coming from deep within the ruins. It sent a chill down his spine. "What was that?"
The redhead swallowed nervously, clearly afraid as well. "That would be the mummies."
"Mummies?!" Even Descole couldn't hide the disbelief from his voice. "What mummies?!"
Lando gave him a small, sheepish grin. "The, um, mummies I accidentally set loose a few rooms past this one?"
"You've been giving me a hard time about falling into a hole, when you set loose a bunch of undead abominations?!" Descole wished the younger man could see his irritated glare.
Lando just shrugged. "Falling into a hole? Lame. Releasing a bunch of mummies? Awesome!" He grinned. "Besides, you only have to worry about them at night. By morning, they'll all have gone back to sleep."
Descole raised an eyebrow at him. "Exactly, how many times have you triggered this trap, oh great one?"
He gave a proud grin. "About seven!"
The scientist slapped his forehead, groaning. This kid was possibly even more of an idiot that his future self would turn out to be.
"Anyway, we should get out of here. Tomorrow's Saturday, so I'm coming back first thing in the morning."
Descole just scoffed. "There's no need to sit around until then. Mummies don't exist, and I am more than capable of dealing with whatever you've set free." He walked past Lando, heading for the next room.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Lando grabbed his arm, causing him to cry out in pain. The teen immediately released him. "Are you okay?"
It had hurt worse than he'd care to admit, but Descole just grit his teeth. "I'm fine."
Lando was clearly not fooled, but he chose not to call the other man out on his lie. "Looks like you cut your arm when you fell."
Descole look down to see a long tear along his right arm, going from his wrist to his elbow. The fabric was stained a darker shade of brown from where the blood had seeped through. Taking off his jacket, he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, wincing at the cut there. It wasn't deep, but it was still bleeding badly. Since this was only a simulation, he had hardly paid much attention to the pain in his arm when he fell. It hadn't hampered him in any way, and if he was injured, it wouldn't carry over to the real world.
Of course, Lando didn't know that. He had already pulled a first aid kit out of his backpack and was opening it up
"That's really not necessary…" He started to protest, but realized it was a pointless effort. Lando was unlikely to listen to him anyway, and it would be easier to just let him do it, rather than making a big fuss, especially since he could hardly explain why he didn't need first aid.
Descole watched Lando treat his cut. He muttered a 'thank you" when the teen was finished, earning him a big smile.
Another eerie moan drifted into the room, louder than before. Lando froze. "I completely forgot about them. Come on, let's get out of here."
