Note: I've placed Gressenheller University in a real-life area of central London called Bloomsbury, because that's where it looks like it's located in the map of London shown at the beginning of Pandora's Box.

Extra note: A few people have pointed out to me that the word "skeptic" should be spelled with a k. However, "sceptic" is the British spelling! Doesn't seem to be as well-known as "favour" versus "favor", so I've added this note here just in case. ^_^

Chapter 2: A New Companion

What was time, but fleeting memories of the living? Events to be told, retold, logged, catalogued, and packed away into a nice neat tidy space inside the brain. Reshaped over generations, slowly fading away into non-existence as everything eventually died...

Billions of years compressed into a single moment.

A single moment expanded into a billion years.

Moments of the past...

[ - - ]

Descole all but slammed his fingers on the organ, playing the Song of the Stars, just as he'd transcribed. Just as he'd planned. He would obtain the secret to eternal life if it killed him!

Melina's memories held within them the second part of the puzzle: the Song of the Sea. Although she had died, her memories had been transferred to the diva, Janice, and thus Janice was able to sing the second melody, too. Under the cover of night, with the stars sparkling overhead, the Song of the Sea rang out across the bay, loud, powerful and clear, but even with the organ and voice working in tandem... nothing happened. The sea was quiet, calming... and infuriatingly still.

Why wasn't it working?

[ - - ]

Moments of the future...

[ - - ]

"What's going on?"

"Dammit, we've been blocked out of that specific point in time!"

"He knew. He bloody well knew! Try another point just before or after eleven... Half an hour margin on either side."

"No can do. It's that bloody parrot! Shifted their magnetic field! One of them made it through... the other two are lost somewhere."

"Lost?"

"Wait, found them! They've relocated further in the past! To that specific moment..."

"They must have updated their tracking system. Dammit."

"We're losing them, sir! They're leaving space-time! They're breaking up!"

"Boost the power output, then! We can't lose them, you understand? I'll work on reversing the field."

"Am attempting to compensate... Increasing power to Scrambler Mode... Magnetic shift reversal successful... Stabilising molecular structure... Attempting to bring forward - T minus 10... 9... 8..."

[ - - ]

Moments of the present...

[ - - ] It was the moment when Luke disintegrated. [ - - ]

[ - - ] The moment when Luke woke up. [ - - ]

"Luke, can you hear me?"

Luke's head was throbbing again, and several spots and shapes danced across his field of vision, but he could feel someone's hands supporting his back. Slowly the pain and dizziness subsided, and his vision cleared. He was sitting on the ground, and Layton was bent down beside him in a protective, concerned manner.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thanks." With Layton's help, he managed to stand up. "What... happened? We were at that street, and then that... building exploded... and now... we're back at the zoo?"

"Yes..." said Layton. "We're back. But... something is amiss."

That was an unspoken invitation to see if Luke could figure out what was wrong by himself. He made a Hmm of his own, looking around the cage, around the entire enclosure. There was something not quite right. It was like a spot the difference puzzle. What was wrong with this picture?

The position of the sun, the length of the shadows, the sudden, slight drop in temperature... The blossoms on the trees. It was early spring instead of summer?

"The angle of the sun..." said Luke. "It's... changed. We're in spring. And Flora's still missing. So... we've been sent across time?"

Layton nodded. "Possibly. It's too soon to know for sure, but... I recognised the location of the explosion. That event took place ten years prior to our present day."

"Ten years ago? Are you sure, Professor?"

"I'm positive, Luke..."

Even though Layton trailed off, he seemed incredibly sure. Luke wasn't going to argue with a determined face like that, especially after seeing how spooked the professor had been when they had actually been there. It did make Luke wonder just what had happened at that street, but he had a feeling that Layton wouldn't tell him if pressed. He'd never brought it up before, after all.

Luke changed the subject. "How far do you think we've travelled now? We're back at the zoo, but in a different time?"

"The author of the letter states that he is from 10 years in our future. If there is a real, working time machine, it would probably be found in that period. But, Luke, look around you. The changing season is not the only strange thing about this place."

They both looked towards the cage. A tiger was walking towards the fence but it wasn't the chatty male from earlier. Presumably it was the other one which had been sleeping.

"Hello, darling," it said to Luke - this one was a she. "I don't suppose I could trouble you with a little request? Could you put in a good word with Mr Top Hat? There's a good chap."

Luke was about to ask what she meant, but... then he noticed the piece of metal on her right ear, which reminded him of a time where he hadn't been able to communicate with any animals, no matter how hard he tried - because the animals were being controlled.

"That looks like one of the animal control devices Descole used to use," he said. Layton had his fair share of enemies, and Jean Descole was one of them. A rival archaeologist and a great scientist, he had crossed swords with Layton - both literally and figuratively - a number of times. However, it had been a good three or four years since Layton had last heard anything from his former adversary.

"Indeed," said Layton. "Though... I can't fathom why a zoo animal would need to be controlled. They are already caged animals, after all."

"Maybe so, but... I don't think I can trust what she says," said Luke, shaking his head sadly.

"I agree. We'd better leave right away before she gives away our location."

Right, thought Luke, Animal News Network. "But what about Flora?"

"If we truly have travelled across time, she may well be somewhere else entirely. Perhaps she is still in our own time. If we can find the person responsible for moving us across time..."

"We find Flora. Right."

They walked back towards the entrance of the zoo, passing by several different enclosures along the way. Although the design of the zoo hadn't changed very much, Luke could see that all the animals they passed by were wearing some form of metallic collar or ornament on their head.

"Look, they're all wearing those control devices," he said. "Do you think Descole's the reason we're here?"

"There's not enough to go on to know for sure, but it seems very likely he's involved somehow... We need more information, frankly. Let's do a reconnaissance of central London and see what we can find."

"Right on, Professor."

On the other hand, all the humans they passed by cheered and waved at Layton... which really wasn't all that different from the present day. Luke realised it meant there was a future Layton as well as a future Luke, and said as such.

"Quite a peculiar thought, I must admit," Layton said, expression looking a little distant for a few moments. "I suppose I must still be doing the same thing after ten years."

"But that doesn't make sense," Luke said. "How can we exist in the future if we've gone from our time and come here? I don't exist in the past right now, so I never grew older by ten years... or maybe it doesn't matter because we eventually go back to our time anyway...?"

Layton chuckled. "Ah, a good old-fashioned time paradox. I expect we'll have to wait for our future selves to explain the situation. Let's hope they have a way to contact us again. Something tells me things didn't quite go according to plan."

"If I was me, I'd be looking for me right now," said Luke. He was wondering what a 22 year old him would be like. Would he be gentlemanly, like the professor? What kind of career would he have?

"Mmm... This sounds like it's going to get terribly complicated," said Layton.

"But really exciting! I wonder if they'll have spaceships and lasers here like they do on the telly!"

This time Layton laughed heartily. "Yes, it does present a rather unique opportunity for the both of us, doesn't it? But remember: don't let your enthusiasm cloud your judgement."

"Right, Professor!"

As they exited the front gates of the zoo, Luke spotted a strange pipe running across the ground along the pavement, and that was definitely something new. They followed the pipe, in the direction of the bus stop, and soon came across a builder, who was crouched on the ground, twisting a nut with a wrench, and working on some kind of large, rectangular, cog-filled machine attached to the pipe. The builder looked up at them and performed one of the most dramatic double-takes Luke had ever seen. He leapt up and dropped his wrench on the ground as he cast wide eyes on Layton.

"Holy crap! I-I mean - it's you!"

"You've heard of the professor, then?" said Luke.

"Heard of him?" said the builder. He seemed to be wearing some kind of mouthpiece underneath his yellow safety helmet; Luke presumed it was some kind of portable walkie-talkie. "Who hasn't?"

"Well, good!" said Luke. "It's about time the professor gained some recognition!"

Layton, rather predictably, declined to comment. "How long have you been working here, sir, if you don't mind me asking?" he said instead.

For a moment the builder looked put out by the question; he stuttered nervously and glanced away quickly. But then he turned his head back and grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Oh, wait, I see now. A test, izzit? Want to put ol' Art through his paces, eh? Well, we're just undertaking a bit of maintenance work on the ol' boilers, here."

"These pipes carry water?" said Layton.

"Yep," said Art. "The entire city runs off steam... The heat source is two-fold: we use solar power -" he pointed towards the zoo fence, behind which were some giant black panels that were tilted towards the sun "- and we also happen to have the world's first nuclear fusion reactors."

"Nuclear fusion...?" said Layton.

"Generates far more power than our old gas and oil supplies from the North Sea ever did. Enough to keep the United Kingdom going for decades, at a fraction of the cost, and far more friendly to the environment too. And it's all thanks to you, sir. You headed the research into renewable energy sources. Um... so... do I pass the test?"

"With flying colours," said Layton, smiling.

"Erm... Well, in that case, I'm going to get back to work if you don't mind. The guv'nor sure ain't gonna be happy if he finds I've been slacking off..."

"Certainly. We'll be on our way now." Layton tipped his hat to say goodbye.

After he and Luke continued along the road for a bit, he came to a stop again, and he said, "Well, Luke... It would appear that the reason I am so well-known is that I have invented - or helped bring about the installation of - a new power source. Sustainable and enough to power all the United Kingdom, apparently."

"That's all fine and dandy," said Luke, "and great for the UK, I s'pose, but... it doesn't make any sense. You're an archaeologist. Why would you suddenly change your specialist subject and research something else entirely?"

Layton frowned deeply. "We simply don't know enough." He had that look, the one that said he had his suspicions but wasn't going to divulge them just yet. "Let's continue to the bus stop."

As they did so, a carrion crow cawed twice, loudly, from the air. The sound caught Luke's attention, and he immediately stopped and looked up in a nearby tree. The crow stood out amongst the other three crows in the tree, in that it had a little satchel attached to its back. It shuffled sideways along the branch, and then flew down to the ground in front of Luke.

"Message for the Little Animal Speaker," it said to Luke. "From the Big Animal Speaker."

"Ah! It's from my future self," said Luke, in English.

"Interesting," said Layton. "It would appear that your future self has found us after all."

Luke bent down, untying the clasp of the satchel and taking out an envelope which contained a piece of paper. He unfolded the paper, to reveal another letter:

Dear Professor Layton & Luke

If you are reading this, then it means you've both made it safely to my time. I apologise for the brief detour to the past. Our time machine suffered from external interference and you were mistakenly drawn backwards in time. Regrettably, this disruption to our operations means that I am, at the present time, unable to meet you in person. Please do not worry about Flora. She was transported to another part of the city, and I am working to make sure she is retrieved.

Please find enclosed two small metal rings. Do not hesitate to put them on - they mask temporal signatures and will make it safe for you travel throughout this time. I will meet you at Russell Square in roughly two hours' time, along the square's northern junction with Woburn Place. In the meantime, I would recommend that you pay a visit to Gressenheller University, and see for yourselves what our city has become. It should be safe for you to do so, and the professor may very well find out some interesting things about his future self.

Take care,

Luke Triton

Luke frowned in disappointment. "This raises more questions than it answers. What does he mean by 'it should be safe for us to do so'? Has that got something to do with the time paradox? And why couldn't he just send someone else to meet us? It almost sounds like he's hiding."

"Perhaps time travelling is not permitted in the future," Layton said, "and there are serious repercussions should one be found using a time machine."

Luke didn't like that idea one bit. What if Descole had taken over London, and his future self was on the run? Just what had happened to the professor's future self? Forced to come up with an energy plan that would fuel Descole's evil deeds?

That's what we're here to find out, I suppose...

"Luke, shall we examine the envelope's contents?"

Luke nodded, and poured the rings carefully into his hands. Layton studied his ring for a moment before putting it on. "Hmm... There's nothing particularly striking about these rings..."

"I don't feel any different," said Luke, holding out his hand in front of his face.

" 'Scuse me, you done, yet?" said the crow suddenly. "I need you to put my bag back on, quick. I've gotta get back before the other crows give the game away."

Luke bent down and obliged. "Who sent the letter?"

"You did. Your older self. He's me boss."

"Are you sure it was my future self and not someone pretending to be me?"

"No, I'm not sure at all," the crow said, ruffling its feathers irritably. "I'm no more sure that he's Luke Triton than I am that you are Luke Triton. I'm just a messenger bird. But if it makes you feel better, I trust him. He's a good person. That I do know. He freed me from Descole's control tag."

Before Luke could ask anything else, the crow took flight, and he sighed gently in frustration. The professor had been right: this really was becoming complicated. "What should we do, Professor?"

"I think we should follow the instructions in the letter," said Layton. "So far it's our only real hint, and I'm quite eager to meet my own future self."

"Your future self... should be at the university. Right." He shook his head gently, clearing himself of his doubts and questions, and he smiled at Layton. "Let's go!"

So, thought Flora, wrinkling her nose in disdain. One minute I'm in London Zoo, the next I'm standing inside a sewer. How many picarats is this puzzle worth?

The first thing she had thought of was this time machine that Luke had mentioned, assuming it wasn't someone performing a grand hoax. But instant teleportation wasn't exactly something you could fake, not easily anyway. For now she'd stick to the most obvious conclusion; uncovering the real truth behind something was Layton's department.

She would have been a great deal more excited at the prospect of time travel if she hadn't ended up inside a sewer. Couldn't Luke's future self have picked a better place to transport her to?

That thought made her pause. Where were they, anyway? Layton and her Luke. Where had they ended up? Suddenly she felt panic set in, clawing in at her insides like a ravenous one-eyed monster. She shouldn't be afraid, she always told herself. She should face her fears head on. She was sixteen, she wasn't a little kid any more...

But she hated the idea of being alone, and she was down in this deep, dank sewer, without any idea of whether she was still in London or not, and there could any number of creepy crawlies or rats just lying in wait, ready to pounce...

She could have faced it all as long as Luke and the professor were there. It was the loneliness that got to her. That was the worst part. Not the things she would face, but the fact that she'd be alone in facing them. And then she stopped herself. This was precisely why they always left her behind, wasn't it? Because they thought she wouldn't be able to handle a situation like this. If she gave up now, she'd only be reinforcing their point.

With that thought in mind, she picked a direction and began to walk along the stony platform beside the water, through the sewer tunnel, as afraid as ever, but with a certain determination. She'd been through the sewers of St Mystere before, this couldn't be all that different, could it? There had to be a ladder to the surface somewhere.

This was the whole point of being courageous, wasn't it? To be afraid, and yet to go forward despite your fear. She couldn't help wondering if the professor had ever been afraid. If he was ever afraid, he certainly never showed it. The mere thought of him was comforting, though, and diluted the fear somewhat. It gave her something to look forward to, a purpose for going on ahead.

They had a bit of an odd relationship, did Layton and Flora. Sort of father/daughter... but not quite. Officially he was her legal guardian, and as such he had done everything he could to ensure she was properly looked after, but... well... he had never really seemed to know how to act around her. Which, upon reflection, was perfectly understandable. Layton just wasn't used to kids. Of course he'd had Luke around to stay on the odd occasion, and they got on like a house on fire, but, no matter how well Layton knew Luke, having your very own child as a permanent resident was a completely different kettle of fish to having someone else's kid stay for a little while.

Even so, he was the closest thing she had to a father now, and truthfully, she was happy that Layton had been the person to solve her father's last great riddle. Only a person possessing integrity, kindness and ingenuity could have solved the mystery of the Golden Apple, and Layton possessed those qualities in spades. And then... Having him around in those dark days just following her departure from St Mystere, just knowing that he was there helped ease the pain of losing her own father. She was immensely grateful that he had just accepted her into his life, without complaint.

Yes, she thought, she did see Layton as a father figure. She knew deep down he cared about her in the same way too. She just wished that he'd express it more openly sometimes. Maybe then she wouldn't feel like she had to follow him around all the time.

The sound of water gushing through the system below was suddenly punctuated by somebody sniffling and coughing, round the next sharp corner, and Flora slowed her pace.

"Luke?" she ventured.

A boy roughly Luke's age came dashing round the corner, but he wasn't Luke. Wielding a broken metal pipe like a baseball bat, he came charging forward with an almost inhuman battle cry. She screamed, shocked into staying still, but then the boy stopped himself short mid-swing.

"Oh, gosh!" he said, looking horrified. He dropped the metal pipe; it fell to the ground with a clank. "I'm really, really sorry! I thought you were someone else!"

Someone else? In the middle of a sewer? Flora was shaking, partly from the shock but also partly with anger. "I don't care who you thought I was! That's not the way to treat anybody, never mind me!"

He shrank back, avoiding her eyes. "Umm... I'm sorry. I really am! I was running from some thugs, and they had all these robots... And, I thought they'd caught up with me... I thought you were one of the robots."

The boy looked tense and was still breathing hard; and his eyes looked past her for a moment. He seemed to be telling the truth... about the thugs, at least.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Why on earth are thugs after you? Did you steal some money from them, or something?"

"Hey!" he said, turning his gaze back to her and frowning in indignation. "Nothing like that! I'm no thief! I-I just..." He cast his eyes down at the floor. "I don't know why they were chasing me... I've never seen 'em before in my life. They must have me mixed up with someone else."

Flora suddenly realised that just because she had teleported into a sewer, it didn't necessarily mean she was still in London. "Do you know if we're in London?"

"Yeah..." he said, his gaze turning suspicious. "Not sure exactly where, but I heard one of the thugs say so. Why?"

Flora paused. How could she bring up the subject without mentioning the time machine? For some reason, though, her thoughtful expression seemed to stir something in him; his face brightened up.

"Wait... were you transported here? By unusual means?"

Bingo, thought Flora. "Er... One moment I was at London Zoo," she said. "And then the next thing I know, I'm here."

"I knew it! So you were teleported here as well. Goodo. I mean, it's not good that we're both in a sewer, but, well, uh... Heh. I'm glad it's not just me."

Flora nodded. She could definitely identify with that. "Do you know how it happened?"

"I think it's got something to do with the Institute," said the boy, frowning a little.

This statement took Flora by surprise. Institute? she thought.

He said, "This might sound utterly crazy, but..."

Here he paused, eyeing her with suspicion again, as though expecting her to dismiss his story as a lie even before he'd told it, but she nodded encouragingly, thinking, I've seen some strange things with the professor. Try me.

"Please, go on. I don't bite, I promise."

"Well... Okay then. One minute I was outside my house, and then suddenly - poof! - I was here." He gestured with both hands to emphasise 'my house' and 'here'.

"Then, I was attacked by thugs, then I was back at my house again, then I was here, then I was back, then I was here again..." His brow furrowed, as if he was trying hard to remember something. "It's all a bit of a blur, really. It felt like that happened all at the same time..."

Poor guy, it sounded like he had been doing a lot of time travelling without really wanting to. Time travelling wasn't really much fun if it amounted to being the equivalent of a tennis ball during a fierce Wimbledon match.

"And then the last time I teleported, I remained here. But then those gangsters attacked me again, and... I got away from them."

"That sounds awful!"

"It was kinda scary... Something messed up those robots, though. I think I lost them..." He glanced back the way he came rather nervously, and Flora decided that between sewer rats and aggressive gangsters with robots, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to compare notes with him after all.

"Maybe we should try to find the Institute," she said. "Do you know where it is?"

He sighed. "Yeah, it's right next door to where I live... My dad says they're always experimenting with magnetic fields and stuff, so it wouldn't be the first time something weird's gone and happened."

This was sounding more and more like a time machine was involved. If this boy knew something about the time machine, maybe he knew where Luke's future self was? He sounded like he had a tiny bone to pick with the time machine's creators, but then that was reasonable given that these people, whoever they were, seemed to be using him as some kind of guinea pig. If the Luke of the future happened to be the one responsible for this mess, she would have words.

His expression changed from one of mild annoyance, morphing into worry. "But... the latest experiment was a big one. I was outside playing, and... I saw it. It - it - the lab, I mean - it kind of exploded. There was fire coming out and everythin'. I hope everyone's okay..."

Uh oh, she thought. That didn't sound good...

"We'd better hurry back, then," she said. "Do you know of a way out of here?"

He nodded. "I think I saw a ladder to the surface on my way here. Oh...! My name's Clive by the way," he added. "Might be useful to know each other's names if we're gonna travel together."

"Right! I'm Flora. Nice to meet you."

"Same to you."

"Well, after you!"

"Well," said Luke, "there's the bus stop... And it looks completely different."

Indeed, the bus stop flag was the only thing that hadn't changed. Identical to the present day, it still displayed the distinctive red Transport for London roundel. The shelter's design had changed immensely, however. Instead of having a curved roof and red-coloured sides, the shelter had a flat, rectangular roof, with black panels placed all across the top, and its sides were made of a shiny, reflective metal.

A tall, blue pole stood on the other side of the shelter, with a dot matrix display indicating bus routes and expected times of arrival. There was a pipe snaking upwards around the pole's left side, and this pipe was connected to what appeared to be a boiler on the ground. The water for the display's operation seemed to be coming up from underground.

"Gosh!" said Luke. "They've got displays that tell you when the next bus is coming. Futuristic or what?"

"Remarkable," said Layton, staring at the black panels on the roof. "They are all orientated to face the sun. Is the water being heated directly by the sun? What happens in the winter, I wonder?"

Luke knew that Layton was a man of details. He was just as fascinated by the technology of the present - and future - as he was in the relics of human past. What Luke didn't know was whether these current details were enough - whether Layton really believed they were in the future. Perhaps he was reserving judgement until they had some solid proof...?

In fact, Luke wasn't sure himself. But they'd definitely been teleported at the very least across space, if not time. He remembered his theory about the green parrot being a time machine, and then remembered that Layton hadn't seen its little trick. The problem was, Layton never liked to be told that something was true; he preferred to gather information in order to discover the truth for himself. It wouldn't be enough for Luke to tell him about the parrot. He'd need to see the teleportation with his own eyes.

But it didn't matter. If Luke was right, then they'd be seeing the parrot again soon.

Suddenly, Layton turned his head right round, and Luke followed his gaze. A man in a purple suit was walking towards them. He wore a white hat and thin-rimmed glasses. There was something unsettling about the way he stared at them both. That small smile was as though he were privy to the world's largest secret and he wasn't about to start sharing anytime soon. Luke thought that this made him look like the kind of dodgy dealer that you'd only find in the grimiest parts of London, and he watched him closely as he came to a stop beside them at the bus stop.

"You're Professor Layton," the man said.

Ever the polite gentleman, Layton tilted his hat. "Yes. Good afternoon, sir."

"From the past, I mean. Ten years, isn't it?"

Suspicion crept into Layton's eyes. "What makes you say that?"

The corners of the man's lips turned up into a rather nasty smirk. "Ever the sceptic, aren't you? I must assert that this future is very real, Professor Layton. However... my boss would much rather you tried to solve its mysteries on your own. Think of it... as a test."

"And who exactly is this boss of yours?" said Layton.

"If I told you, it would kill all the suspense, wouldn't it? Tell you what, I'll give you a hint... I'm with the Family. My name's Ward."

"The Family?" said Luke.

"That's all you're getting." Ward turned back around, making a nonchalant wave of the hand. "My boss is watching you, Layton. Don't disappoint him."

Ward sauntered away, and Layton frowned after him.

"That sounded like a threat, Professor..." said Luke.

"The great puzzle of future London... I think, my boy, that I have been challenged to solve it. By whom, and what the stakes are, however, remain to be seen."

"Yeah... Somehow I don't think he was talking about my future self," said Luke. But who had set the challenge? Descole? Or someone else?

He heard a whirring mechanical noise that took him out of his thoughts, probably from a low-flying military craft. Until he looked up and realised that it wasn't a military craft at all.

The 274 bus was flying.

"My word," said Layton.

[ - Hidden Memory #10 - ]

Leaning against the wall, Ward fidgeted with the control device linked to the wolf that guarded the boss's office. The wolf, Benji, seemed to be fighting against the programming and it would be disastrous if he ever regained his independence. Benji was currently asleep on the floor, next to Ward.

Ward looked up and across the hallway as his boss opened the large door and came out of his office, whispering orders to the Family henchmen at either side of the door. He raised an eyebrow at him as he passed by. "Problem, boss?"

"Oh, no. None at all." Layton had an it's none of your business air about him, and Ward chose his next words carefully.

"I saw your past self at London Zoo," he said. "Just like you said. I take it you already know where he'll go next?"

"Not exactly. However, I imagine he will probably want to see me. He has gone to Gressenheller University, if I'm not mistaken."

"And you still don't want us to bring him to you?"

"Oh, no. Absolutely not. He must solve the puzzle without my help. I believe Dimitri is in the Bloomsbury area anyway, for reasons that I do not know. Something has obviously piqued his interest. He may well pick up my past self for me."

"What about Triton?" said Ward, mindful to keep an eye on Benji.

"I'm ready for him," said Layton smugly. "If he shows up, don't interfere. I've been working on a project of my own for the past few months... I'm ready to try it out."

"You're sure, are you?" said Ward, frowning. Finally, the control device bleeped to indicate that it was fully operational, and he could breathe a sigh of relief - once Layton was out of earshot, anyway.

"Everything is going according to plan. Not even my past self will be able to stop me... although I certainly welcome him to try."

Ward wondered whether there was an award in the Guinness Book of Records for world's largest smirk, because Layton would have easily won, no contest. The head of the Family was clearly looking forward to the upcoming challenge.

[ - 10 - ]