Wounded Future

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the original story to Professor Layton

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and the support.

Chapter 2

Flora awoke to the sound of a distant phone ringing. The sound echoed through the house as the morning sun began to break. She groaned as she mentally begged for the ringing to stop. Finally, the ringing stopped and she could hear the Professor greeting the morning caller.

"Layton Residence," Professor Layton answered in a mild manner. "What? Luke, please slow down, I can't understand you. What has happened? A mystery? What ever do you mean?"

Flora's ears began to perk as she listened in on the conversation.

"A letter from the Future? I'm afraid that is not possible. Are you certain it is not some sort of practical joke?"

Flora suddenly awoke with a start when she heard the word 'Future'. She crawled out of bed and scrambled closer to her bedroom door.

"Very well then, I'll be there as soon as possible. Please keep the letter in hand; I'd like to examine it myself."

She peeked out from behind her door to see the Professor turn into the washroom to prepared himself for the day. Flora stood at the door, stunned. What was Luke calling about? Did he really receive a letter from the Future, or was it just a hoax?

"Professor?" Flora squeaked in a tiny voice when she saw him emerge from the washroom.

"Hm? Oh, what is it Flora?"

"Has something happened? I heard you talking on the phone with Luke." Flora said with concern.

"Oh, that is nothing for you to worry about Flora. I'm sure Luke is just pulling my leg with one of his jokes again." The Professor reassured.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to come along with you to Luke's house?" Flora asked as she took a step closer to the Professor.

"No, that is quite alright. There is no need to worry. I will go to Luke's house to examine the situation. I'm sure it's just a joke and I'll be back for before breakfast."

Layton then turned his back to Flora and disappeared into his bedroom. Flora sighed as she too retreated back to her quarters. She laid down onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, pondering the situation. The professor was probably right. A letter from the future? That sounds ridiculous.

Before long, Flora could hear the professor leaving his bedroom and scrambling down into the living room. She could hear him pace around looking for his trademark jacket and top hat, and eventually leaving the house to visit Luke's. The door slammed shut and the house fell into silence.

The silence was familiar. She was alone. Again. Flora picked herself up from her bed and wandered into down the stairs into the living area. She surveyed the brightly lit living area and stopped at the newspaper sprawled out onto the coffee table.

"Time-Machine Demonstration Gone Awry!" The headline read. It's been a week since the incident and the city was now in havoc due to the disappearance of the Prime Minister. Flora had read the news article repeatedly and had asked the Professor countless times how this could happen. He didn't have an answer, but it was clear his curiosity was now piqued. Flora was sure that he was now conducting his own private investigation to solve this mystery.

"Another mystery for Professor Layton and his apprentice; Luke!" Flora said with a sigh.

Now with this urgent call from Luke and the mentioning of the future, Flora couldn't help but think that the two situations may be related.

"Well, the Professor did say he would be back by breakfast. I'm sure if this leads to a full-fledged investigation, they would return to get me." Flora reasoned with herself. "For now, all I can do is waiting for the Professor's return."

Flora quickly got dressed and ready for the day in hopes that the Professor would soon return. She prepared some eggs and bacon with a side of burnt toast and plated a portion for the professor and herself. Glancing over at the clock, Flora realized that the professor had been gone for an hour. She smiled to herself as she expected him to return at any moment now. Flora began to eat her breakfast slowly, listening carefully for the sound of Layton at the door.

Another hour passed as Layton's breakfast was now cold. Flora had finished her portion and had even had time to clean after herself. She scrubbed the frying pan with force as she realized that the Professor was not going to return.

They left her behind, again. They're off on another adventure to solve a giant mystery while she's at home watching her food go to waste. Flora wandered into the living area and took a seat in front of the open news paper. She scanned the article again, staring at the large picture of the missing Prime Minister. No matter how many times she read it, the circumstances seemed utterly impossible.

The machine explodes, and Bill Hawks along with the presenting scientist disappear without a trace. Had the time machine possibly worked? If so, why would the scientist disappear when he had not entered the machine?

Flora turned the page of the week old news paper and spotted something else intriguing. It was an article reporting the disappearance of the most brilliant scientist in London. She examined the pictures closely, trying to find a connection between the missing scientists. Dr Horace, Dr. Cuthbert, and Dr. Avogadro. One specializes in Polydimensional Physics, another on Quantum Physics, and lastly nuclear war arms research. Perhaps whoever is kidnapping them is making some sort of Battling Time Travelling Robot?

Flora sighed in defeat as she dropped the newspaper. The day was now narrowing noon and the professor was clearly not returning. She pondered what her next move should be, and decided that perhaps she can learn more about this time travelling mishap at the University. Perhaps the professor is at work right now teaching Archaeology, and if he's not, maybe he has more information about the time travel presentation hidden in his office.

Flora jumped up in excitement at the idea of her very own investigation. Who says the Professor and Luke had to have all the fun? She dashed out the Layton residence and ran to the closest bus stop that would take her to the University.

She wandered the hallways of the University with intrigue as she wondered why she had not enrolled in University herself. She smiled and admired the happy students that seemed both exhausted with work, but lively with knowledge. She continued her way towards Layton's office when she ran into a co worker of Layton's, Dean Demona.

"Hello, Mr Demona," Flora greeted with a bright smile. "Do you know if the Professor is in today?"

"Why, hello dear! No, I'm afraid I haven't seen him today. But! You never know with that Hershel. Sometimes he comes in mid day and stays back until the late evening." Demona said with a chuckle.

"Well, if you do see him on the University Campus, could you tell him that I am waiting for him in his office?" Flora asked politely. Demona nodded with a smile, as he excused himself and continued his way down the hall.

Flora entered the office cautiously, peeping inside for any students. The room was empty, and the coast was clear. She closed the door behind her and bee-lined to the Professor's desk. Flora glanced back at the door cautiously before beginning to rummage through the Professor's belongings. She looked through a stack of paper on top of his desk and found a leather-bound notebook that had a yellow piece of paper sticking out from between the pages. The piece of paper seemed to have the name "Clair" scribbled on it. She opened the notebook slowly and found a picture of what looked like a young Layton and a beautiful, but intelligent looking woman. She wore a lab coat and glasses while the young professor wore a red hat and a white scarf. The two both smiled brightly in the photograph, beaming with bliss and what looked like young love. The notebook itself had pages and pages of the professor's scribbles on it, news paper articles, with various torn out pages. Before she could read the journal, however, she heard the familiar voices of the Professor and Demona chatting in the hallway.

Flora jumped with a start as she slipped the photograph back into the notebook. She scrambled to place the notebook back within the stack of paper where she found it in, trying desperately to make the pile look untouched. She turned around and glanced at the door as she could see the Professor's and Luke's silhouette through the office door glazing.

The door creaked open and Luke entered first.

"Oh! Um, hi there, Flora." Luke greeted with surprise. The surprised look on his face reminded Flora of how they had abandoned her earlier.

"You two have some nerve leaving me alone while you go off on another adventure!" Flora clenched her fists beside her.

"Now Flora, you know that wasn't our intention at all. While we were out investigating one issue, an even more troublesome matter arose." The Professor explained. Flora furrowed her brow in doubt as she glared at the Professor.

"We wouldn't have left you behind on purpose." Luke chimed in, attempting to comfort Flora. Flora sighed in defeat as she looked into Luke's large, apologetic eyes.

"Well okay, just this once. But you two had better not leave me alone again!"

"Of course not,"

Flora hesitantly accepted their apologies as she was relieved that the two had now returned. Now perhaps she could join them on their investigations.

"You two must be tired from running around, I'll make us some tea!" Flora offered brightly. Flora left the office and headed to the staff kitchen. There, she prepared some tea and her famous cucumber sandwiches. She smiled to herself as she imagined going on another exciting adventure with Luke and the Professor again. She became even more excited when she reminded herself that she might be part of the team that finds the missing Prime Minister. Newspapers and magazines would interview her, she would be famous! She placed the sandwiches and the teas on a tray and walked back towards the office.

"Voila! I thought you might be hungry, so I made some little cucumber sand-" Flora stopped as she looked around the empty office. "Oh dear, where did they go?"

Flora whirled around quickly to catch a glimpse of the Professor leaving the building. She quickly threw down the tray onto the coffee table and ran down the hallway to give chase. There was no way they were leaving her again while they find the Prime Minister themselves. She stuck to the walls as she followed the two from a distance. She watched them get onto a bus and immediately hailed a cab to follow the bus. They stopped in front of the Scotland Yard and disappeared into the building. Flora got out of the taxi, tipping generously and took a seat in the nearby park. She decided not to follow them into the building as she would surely get caught or seen. Instead, she waited in the adjacent park hoping to catch them going to their next destination.

"It's not fair. Why would they run off on me like that?" Flora asked herself. "Do they see me as a nuisance? That I would possibly just get in their way? The professor treats me like a child more than he does to Luke, and I'm older than him! Why do they find the need to keep me in this sheltered little bubble? I'm not a little girl anymore!"

Flora angrily clutched onto the edge of her seat. She stared straight ahead and glared at the Police building entrance. Still no sign of that ridiculously tall top hat. Flora sighed and slouched down onto the park bench. She pondered where their next stop was going to be. Maybe the Prime Minister's office? Or perhaps to the scientists' labs for any evidence or leads. That scientist in the demonstration, Dr. Stahngun, he must have some incriminating evidence in his laboratory or on his records.

Finally, Flora spotted the Professor and Luke leaving the building and heading to the bus stop. She quickly jolted up from her seat and looked around for any available cabs. Then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted Inspector Chelmey and his partner Barton leaving the building and loading into a police car. As the Professor and Luke boarded the London bus, Inspector Chelmey started his car up and began to follow the bus closely. Flora reacted quickly by jumping into next available cab and following the Detective. This was turning out to be a very exciting adventure for Flora.

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