"Thanks, Sylvia," he said to the nurse and walked down the halls of the medical wing. It had been three weeks since he had been discharged but he was taken every morning for an injection, though he was never told why. All the other captured hostages had to go for an injection, as well, though they knew no more than Clive.
Clive returned to his room, the one he shared with Layton and Luke, but both were out somewhere. Of course they were; now they had the entire building to explore, there was no reason to sit idly. Clive was not keen on exploring the building himself, but he had to if he was going to formulate an escape plan. Today he was heading east instead of west, to the laboratories.
As he walked in the shadows, careful to avoid the guards (who would insult him every time they saw him), he accidentally rammed into an irritated female scientist. She hurtled obscenities at him while Clive tried to apologize, then she took it too far. She kicked him, square in the chest. Clive staggered backwards then raced forwards, throwing a punch that hit its target better than expected - he hit the woman in the center of her chest, sending her staggering backwards too.
Clive managed to snake in a kick and the woman fell sideways, then she pulled out a knife. Clive's heartbeat fastened - it was fight or flight, and remarkably, he chose fight. Clive dived forwards, his right hand grabbing the woman's wrist. He tried to twist it but when the knife cut into his skin he growled and let go, skipping backwards. He was about to make a run for it when someone else dived into the fray - Emmy.
Within seconds the scientist had been disarmed and was left unconscious in a corner. Clive stared at Emmy as she approached him.
"Well, she's not going to stab you now," Emmy said. Clive pointed a shaking finger at the guard behind Emmy. Emmy spun round and tried to punch the guard across the face, but she was too slow. The guard grabbed her hand and handcuffed her on the spot. He glared at Clive.
"Wait here, boy," the guard growled and walked off with Emmy. The guard should've known better - Clive raced off, keeping behind the guard but when the guard went left at a crossroads, Clive went right. He checked the row of room numbers and knocked on one. Lore opened the door and Clive quickly told her about the situation. He knew Lore had been stashing guns in her room for some time, and Clive accepted the rifle that was shoved into his hands.
"Layton's gone out," Clive said as Lore walked out into the hallway bearing her impressive collection of firearms. "I think he's off to look around the building. At any rate, I'll save Emmy." Lore nodded and ran off down one corridor while Clive ran after the guard. It had always been the plan: if something went wrong, get the guns and escape. Clive raced after the guard and shot him, then he grabbed Emmy. "Emmy, you remember the plan?" He asked as he led her back through the halls. He had to find an exit in the seemingly endless maze, and an alarm was blaring. The guard must've set it off in his final moments.
"Yes, I remember the plan," Emmy replied. "Got any guns for me?" Clive fished in his pocket and handed Emmy a handgun. She released the safety catch and followed Clive, sometimes pointing him in a certain direction based on signs she was reading. "Something is bugging me, though."
"What is it?"
"Well, Lore brought us back here. But she hasn't shown any indication of fulfilling what she set out here to do." Emmy shot down an approaching guard and wished fervently for a silencer. She spotted Lore and grabbed Clive, pulling him in the right direction. Lore was with Layton and Luke and they were all armed appropriately.
"I need to talk with you guys," Lore said, leading them into an old storage room that was no longer in use. She climbed up a pile of junk and sat on top of it. Clive bravely scaled a different pile of junk and made himself at home, followed by Emmy. Layton did not believe a gentleman climbed piles of junk. "I dragged you all here so I could get my boyfriend and my sister. And, I see that it was wrong. I'm very sorry, and if I can do anything to make up to yo-"
The door was flung open and Lore gunned down the guards in an instant. She cursed and ran out, the party following her. She found a window and opened it, breaking the windowpane. She squirmed out and was followed by the rest of her party, then Lore looked at them sadly.
"The building is set to self-destruct. I-I pressed a button. I want to go back and get them," Lore said, her voice wavering. She knew the problem - she wouldn't make it in time.
"Professor Birchwood," Layton said. "You'll die if you go in there. I'm afraid to say it, but we cannot do anything."
"I'm sorry, Layton. You've been a wonderful companion to me, but now I have to go," Lore said with a shaking smile. She squirmed back through the window and popped through on the other side. "Goodbye, Hershel, Clive, Emmy, Luke." Clive stared in horror at the window.
Luke dived forwards and grabbed the windowsill. "Professor Birchwood!" He could hear an automated voice counting down from ten and he knew he had to run. The party, now down a person, raced through the woods, still running as the entire complex exploded. Layton could hardly handle it; hundreds of people, dead in an instant, including the Professor of Geography he had worked so many times with. He almost tripped over his own feet while running down the hill. They stopped running after the explosion, because there was no point. There was a solemn silence as they walked.
"Oh Professor Laytoooooon!" a familiar voice called. The whole party spun round in an instant, to see Lore and someone who looked rather like her carrying a burnt man down the hill. "I made it!" Layton stared at Lore as she joined him. "This is my boyfriend. He's in a bit of a bad way at the moment. We need to get him to a hospital, but he'll be alright." Lore looked at the confused stares and smiled. "What? You want to know how I escaped? It's a secret."
Layton sighed with relief and the party discovered Flora standing proudly alone by a boat. "We did it, Professor! We built the boat and got the hostages back!" Layton congratulated Flora, and the party shovelled themselves into the boat and stayed moderately silent for the duration of the journey back to London, with a few conversations from Lore and the regular grunting of the people who were controlling the boat. Eventually, they arrived at the harbor, Emmy got her motorcycle back, and everyone was happy. Well, apart from the homeless Clive. Emmy once again offered Clive her house and he, once again, gratefully accepted.
The two sat at Emmy's dining room table, Clive drinking coffee while Emmy sipped hot chocolate. "You were brave," Emmy said, almost blankly.
"Was I?" Clive asked sleepily. Even with the caffeine in his system, he was incredibly tired from the day's adventure. "Ugh, I'm too tired for this. I'm going to bed." Clive set off for bed, until Emmy stopped him.
"Wait!" she called. Clive stopped and turned around as Emmy walked over. She gently kissed Clive and smiled at him. "Good night, Clive." Clive smiled wearily back at her.
"Good night, Emmy."
