Chapter 4: Temporal Conflict
Okabe jerked back and hid himself behind the corner he'd peeked around, but he could still feel the Professor's pointer finger aimed at him through the rough bricks. Kurisu had stiffened up, staring at him with intense, accusatory eyes that he couldn't get himself to meet. His mind raced with nervous energy, and he breathed heavily, trying to decide what to do.
Around the corner, the Professor's assistant exclaimed, "Ah! Wait, he looked familiar―" Frowning, Okabe shifted to pull off the jacket that served as his disguise.
"Okabe, don't you―" Kurisu hissed, but was cut off by the jacket being thrown at her. She caught it out of reflex, preventing her from grabbing her boyfriend: lab coat revealed in its full glory, Hououin Kyouma leapt out into the open.
With a practiced flair, the man landed in the center of the dilapidated path, lab coat flowing like a hero's cape. He crossed his arms in front of his face and laughed with a deep, throaty voice: "Fools! You believed you could escape me, the great Hououin Kyouma―but your fate is sealed now! The Organization can never escape my clutches!"
Okabe flung his arms into the air in a haughty pose and stared down the alleyway with a self-confident smirk, expecting the pair to react with shock and confusion. Instead, they stared back with concerned expressions on their faces.
"...Professor, for once I don't think that this is Don Paulo trying to corner us."
"I would have to agree, Luke." The Professor had lowered his arm, but he stood tall in front of his blue-suited apprentice as if to protect him from an attack.
Wiping the confident grin off his face, Okabe turned away, raising a flip phone to his ear and whispering dramatically into it. "They are unaffected―the Mad Hatter and Half-Cup are immune to my aura! Activate project Fjordell immediately!" A pause, for dramatic effect, then, "―What? Activation codes? We don't have time―"
"Wait, did you just call me a half-cup?" Luke interrupted.
"And me the Mad Hatter; he's quite the well-read mugger, if that's what this is." Professor Layton said bemusedly.
Okabe started to reply, but Luke interrupted him again. "Wait, I recognize you now―you were at the time machine showing! The Professor even helped you when you were held up at the gate!"
The Professor raised his eyebrows in recognition, and Okabe pressed his lips together, at a loss for what to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurisu slap her palm to her forehead.
"Ah, well...I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else. I suppose I'll see myself away, then…" Okabe said, taken aback. It wasn't often that his over-the-top performance failed to elicit a reaction, but today was one of those days.
"So soon? We haven't even been introduced to your partner." Professor Layton said with a smile. Okabe's mouth dropped open, Luke looked back and forth between the two men confusedly, and Kurisu stood behind the corner doing an impressive imitation of a statue.
"No, well―" Okabe choked out, fighting to keep his eyes from landing on his girlfriend. "It's just me, um, coming out to mug you. I, um―sorry for the inconvenience, you two." He spouted the excuse off the top of his head, and he was fully aware just how stupid he sounded. It took physical effort not to cringe, and he knew that Kurisu was doing exactly that.
"It's quite obvious, really." The Professor said, rubbing his chin between his thumb and pointer finger. "The footsteps I heard were certainly not made by the shoes that you've got on," he pointed to the nondescript brown shoes that Okabe was wearing, "and the jacket I saw you wearing is nowhere to be found." Okabe winced; he hadn't realized he'd slipped up so badly. "By that logic the culprit must be behind that very wall―Miss Makise, I presume?" He emphasized his words with a dramatic point towards the corner.
Okabe said nothing, but allowed his eyes to flick to the side and meet Kurisu's. Her eyes showed both nervousness and fury, and he had a feeling he knew which one was directed at him. He opened his mouth to respond to the Professor, but his mouth was dry like sandpaper. It was a feeling eerily reminiscent of being told off by his own professors―at least that was something he was familiar with.
Luke jumped as Okabe was hit in the face by a balled-up jacket. From behind the corner where Professor Layton was standing, Kurisu stalked out. She walked up to her boyfriend with an intense glare boring into him, then turned towards the pair they'd been stalking and said, "I'm sorry, Professor. This isn't at all what we meant to happen."
"Well, it seems my deduction was correct," Layton said, sounding pleased and strangely unsurprised, "I hope my card wasn't that hard to decipher?"
Kurisu flushed, and Okabe smirked as he removed the jacket from his head. "No, nothing like that. I―well, we solved it soon enough." The Professor's card had indeed contained his contact information, but it was Okabe, then Mayuri, then finally Daru who'd solved the puzzle hiding it. It wasn't until Mayuri had offered her help that Kurisu had finally solved it, much to Okabe's amusement.
The Professor nodded and hummed assent. Luke, however, wasn't satisfied. "Hold on a moment, that still doesn't explain why you followed us to the middle of nowhere! And come to think of it, why did he say he was mugging us?" the boy pointed at Okabe, who was now standing quietly next to Kurisu.
"Well, he was jus―"
"We can't tell you that." Okabe interrupted his partner. She twisted sharply to stare at him, but he didn't budge. "I didn't mean to surprise you, but I can't explain to you why we're here."
Luke's forehead furrowed in confusion and the Professor's eyebrows raised, both staring at Okabe. Kurisu's eyes were locked on his as well, but she knew what was potentially at stake. She took a deep breath, then frowned and nodded.
"How are we supposed to accept that? You just show up and spout nonsense at us, then say that it's none of our business?" Luke said with a scowl. "That's absurd! Professor, don't you think so?"
"That may be so, Luke," Professor Layton said slowly, "but in this context, I can't help but wonder. After all, we weren't the only ones at the time machine fiasco, were we?"
Okabe winced―the Professor's intuition was as sharp as he'd heard. He did his best to keep a stony facade on his face, but his hand reached into his pocket, fingering his flip phone like a stress ball. Next to the Englishman, Luke rubbed his chin thoughtfully; clearly, he still didn't understand, but if the boy was half as clever as the Professor he'd make some important connections.
"Hmm...I don't know, Professor. This feels odd to me."
"I'm sure it'll be fine, Luke. After all, they've been tailing us since we got off the bus and haven't done anything but jump out at us."
"Wait, what?"
Luke responded with a knee jerk reaction of confusion, as did both Okabe and Kurisu. The Professor merely smiled, enjoying the confusion with a chuckle. He shook his head and shrugged. "It'll be fine, Luke. For the time being, there's no harm in letting them tag along."
"Well...alright, Professor. But I'll be keeping an eye on you two!" The boy pronounced, pointing a finger at the foreigner duo. Kurisu nodded and Okabe rolled his eyes.
"Excellent. In that case, I believe we are in need of some introductions: I am Professor Hershel Layton, and this is my apprentice, Luke Triton."
"My name is Hououin K―"
"I'm Makise Kurisu, and this is Okabe Rintarou. It's nice to meet you, Luke."
"Likewise, Miss Makise." Luke said. It didn't go unnoticed that he intentionally ignored the labcoat-wearing man standing beside her, but after a moment, the Professor spoke.
"Excellent! Now that introductions have been made, let us continue. Makise, Okabe, we've just arrived at our destination," the Professor gestured behind him, towards the end of the unkempt footpath. "We received a strange letter telling us to come to this location, with very little information otherwise."
Kurisu hesitated, then nodded and said, "I understand. We'll go along with you, then, if you don't mind." Once the Professor and his assistant turned away, however, Kurisu hissed at Okabe, "Don't act up, or else I'm going back to Japan without you."
Okabe snorted. "I had everything in the palm of my hand."
"Oh really. And Fjordell? Is that even a word?"
Sufficiently chastised, Okabe followed Kurisu as the two of them walked up to the clock shop behind the Professor and his assistant. They seemed to be stuck at the front door; Luke was pulling on the handle to no avail.
"What's wrong? Can't get in?"
Luke turned to the japanese man. "The door's locked. Would you like to try?"
Before Okabe could respond, Layton said: "Here, let me have a look at that." He studied the door for a moment, then nodded. "Ah, of course. It seems we have to solve a puzzle on the door to gain entrance." He pointed to the panel on the door with a variety of numbers and shapes on it. "Luke, would you mind?"
"Certainly, Professor!" Luke said, then paused. "Well...actually, I'd like to give our new friends a chance to try it. They solved your card, right? Then this should be a piece of cake!"
"Luke my boy, pettiness is not a particularly gentlemanly action. But I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to give you a chance, would it?" The Professor moved from disciplining his apprentice to questioning their companions. "The instructions are: press the panel with the timepiece."
Internally, Kurisu was panicking. She was the worst at puzzles by a long shot―she'd be willing to bet that even Luke, who looked like he was five years her junior, could puzzle circles around her. Still, she kept up a brave face. "Of course, Professor."
She and Okabe stepped up to the door, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him smirking. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and looked at the puzzle in front of her.
A rectangular piece of wood with twelve panels looked back at her. Most held a number of varying sizes from one to twelve. Kurisu mentally blocked out the panels without numbers, focusing on the numbered pieces. There seemed to be no relation from number to number, but they were arranged similarly to how they would be on a clock's face. Maybe that was a clue?
Beside her, Okabe's face seemed concerned as he stared at the puzzle―and it all fell into place for Kurisu. It wasn't one panel: it was multiple! Four panels on the right side of the puzzle each held a fourth of a clock's face, together making up the timepiece that they were searching for.
"I've got the answer." Kurisu said smugly.
Okabe raised his eyebrows, face still uncomfortable. "I do as well. On three?"
Kurisu nodded. "One, two, three―" She pointed four fingers to the right side of the board with a proud flair. Okabe quietly pointed to a single panel on the opposite side of the puzzle.
"Hmm...it seems that Mr. Okabe has the correct answer, Miss Makise."
"Wha―how? The clock!" She sputtered in response. Okabe's insufferable grin had returned, although still slightly pale.
"Elementary, my dear Christina," Okabe mused. "The instructions said to press the panel with the timepiece. I only see one panel with a timepiece of its own―the, er, hourglass." His voice clipped the slightest amount as he spoke.
"Excellent deductive work, Mr. Okabe. Would you mind pressing the panel? The heat is beginning to grate on me."
"Oh, sure." He pressed the panel.
The door opened with a creak of ancient hinges, and the group of four walked through. It was unpleasantly cool in the dimly lit room, fueled by a chill that seemed to waft up from underneath the floorboards.
Okabe stepped in last, behind Luke (who was still trying his best to ignore the japanese man) and stopped in his tracks. The walls were covered in clocks from top to bottom, each ticking in a jumbled, desynchronized way; together, they beat at his mind, placing him back before every time leap, before every time Mayuri's pocket watch stopped.
With a gasping, shuddering breath, Okabe took air into his lungs. He felt sweat on his palms and forehead and struggled to keep himself on his feet. Slumping against the doorframe, he closed his eyes and focused on breathing, breathing, breath…
"Okabe!"
"Mr. Okabe, are you feeling alright?"
Kurisu and the Professor rushed toward him―he heard their footsteps, but kept his eyes closed―and he raised a hand in front of him. "I'm fine...the Organization must've poisoned my breakfast this morning. I should've seen this coming."
After a tense pause that did nothing but emphasize the discordant jumble of the clocks, Kurisu said, "He'll be fine, Professor, I'll watch over him for a bit." After a quiet murmur of assent, the Professor's footsteps walked away. Kurisu held Okabe's outstretched hand, running her thumb over his fingers rhythmically. Quietly, she said, "Do you need to leave?"
"It's...it had to be a clock shop, didn't it." he said with a weak chuckle. "I'm fine, Kurisu. Just...really, a clock shop?"
"For someone so determined to ensure that time travel stays undiscovered, you sure are frail."
Okabe smiled at the good-natured jab. Breathing felt easier, and he focused on Kurisu's hand on his. "It's the Organization's fault. The Mad Hatter is a formidable foe―his aura alone immobilizes me." Kurisu was silent. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit surprised by the clocks. I'll be fine in a moment." He squeezed her hand once, then untangled it from his own.
"Ok…but I'll be back to check on you soon."
Kurisu walked away slowly, seeing that the Professor was speaking with a woman half-obscured by darkness behind a desk. A few steps away from him, Luke was waiting, watching her and Okabe. She walked towards them, and Luke intercepted her.
"Miss Makise, is Mr. Okabe alright?"
"I think he'll be alright in a minute. And just call me Makise, Luke."
"I see." the boy fidgeted for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry for making you do the puzzle on the door. I thought...well, you seemed like you'd be able to figure it out."
"And you thought Okabe wouldn't, right?" Luke nodded slowly, looking embarrassed. "It's fine, Luke, no need to apologize. It was just a fluke―the next puzzle I'll solve in no time." Now to make sure Luke never sees me try to solve another puzzle…
"I understand. Thank you, Mi―er, Makise."
"So, what are you doing with the Professor? You're his assistant, right?"
Luke beamed. "The number one apprentice in London! The Professor is good friends with my dad, and the two of us have gone on a bunch of adventures!" The boy seemed to realize something, and fixed his posture so he stood upright. "And I'm learning to become a gentleman like the Professor."
"I believe you; you're already more gentlemanly than some of my friends." Kurisu said with a smile. "Were you with the Professor when he went to Folsense?"
"You know about that?" Luke gaped. "Nobody ever knows about that! None of my friends had even heard of it!"
"I know a bit about it, since―oh, it looks like the Professor's finished talking with the shopkeeper. I'll tell you about it later, ok?"
Luke nodded as the Professor approached the two. "The owner, Spring, said that her husband would be back soon. Miss Makise, is Mr. Okabe feeling better now? I have a handkerchief handy if he would like to borrow it."
"Just Makise, Professor; and yes, he's feeling fine. Just...a bit of a panic attack."
"Ah," Layton nodded solemnly. "In that case, I'll give him some space. But please, let me know if I can assist in any way."
"Thank you―I'll let you know. If you don't mind me asking, though, why this clock shop? It's a rather...odd choice for a letter to direct you to."
The Professor and Luke exchanged a look, and the boy pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it, revealing neatly written cursive handwriting. He handed it to Kurisu and said apprehensively, "I received a letter that claimed...er, claimed to be from my future self."
Well, Okabe was right about that, at least, Kurisu thought as she read the letter. It was vague, but warned of chaos in London's future―perhaps the beginnings of World War 3? Without Okabe's expertise, she couldn't be sure.
"I suppose that would make a clock shop a fitting choice, wouldn't it."
"You don't seem very surprised." The Professor observed with a raised eyebrow; internally, Kurisu cursed her transparency.
"I...suppose not."
The silence between the three seemed to quiet even the constant sound of the clocks. Kurisu stood with nervous uncertainty, staring back at the two englishmen. Despite every second audibly ticking by, it felt far longer than it truly was.
"Whoa there sonny, you feeling alright?" The voice came from the front door, and the three turned to see a thin, heavily bearded man hoisting Okabe to his feet. "Spring, honey, get this boy a cup of water!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" protested a still-gaunt Okabe. Some color had returned to his face, but sweat was still beaded on his forehead like shards of glass.
"Oh dear, I'll be right back." The woman behind the counter, whose name was apparently Spring, bustled out from behind her desk and into a back room. At the same time, Okabe was half-dragged into the second room and placed on the stool behind the desk. Kurisu trailed behind, trying to get the man to listen, and Professor Layton and Luke brought up the rear. Spring emerged from the back room, holding a large cup of water in her hands. "Here you go, dear, make sure to drink up."
Okabe took the glass without a fight, quietly bringing it to his mouth. His eyes were locked on the far wall: Kurisu turned her attention to the wall as well. On it she saw a gigantic clock face, multiple hands extending from the center and its body hooked up to machines that spread into the room. It was still, but it had a heavy presence in the room, choking the life out of all other clocks on the walls.
It looked identical to the clock on the time machine that had killed the Prime Minister just a week ago.
"That…"
"Ah, that's my pet project. Takes a bit of elbow grease to keep running, but I've been working at it for a while. My name's Cogg, by the way."
"Welcome back, dear. This here is Professor Layton: he says they have some business here at the shop."
"Layton? You're Professor Layton?" Cogg exclaimed as he turned away from his wife. "My apologies, I wasn't expecting you so soon!"
"No apologies necessary, my good man." Said the Professor, rubbing the brim of his hat between thumb and forefinger. "We've got a bit of a group here, but allow me to introduce―"
"I'm the Professor's apprentice, Luke! Nice to meet you, sir!"
"My name is Makise Kurisu, an acquaintance of the Professor's. And this―
"Okabe Rintarou. Thank you, by the way." Okabe interrupted feebly. He looked significantly healthier, however, after finishing the cup of water. He stood and joined the group.
"Anytime, sonny...Hmm, more people than I'd expected."
"We certainly don't mean to impose, if that is the problem."
"No, no, not at all! It's just that I had instructions to show you our biggest clock upon arrival. And if they came with you, they get the same privilege." Cogg said with crossed arms. "But I'd planned to give her a tune-up before you arrived, so it'll be a little while before she's ready to run. It takes a while to move these old bones, after all." The man smiled at his own joke as he spoke, although it was mostly hidden behind his bushy moustache.
"I can help, if you'd like." Okabe spoke up. "I know enough about basic machinery to be handy."
Cogg raised an eyebrow. "As long as you're feeling up to it, sonny, I won't turn down some help. It's just a few touch ups here and there, anyway." Okabe nodded, and the two of them got to work. Cogg pulled out a box full of nuts, bolts and (ironically) coggs. Soon, they were piecing them into the giant clock like puzzle pieces.
"I'm glad he's feeling better. You let me know if he has another meltdown, now, alright?" Spring said to Kurisu. The old woman had a kind, grandmotherly smile on her face, and patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Oh, thank you, Ma'am. I will." Quietly, Kurisu eyed the Professor and Luke. She knew just how strange she'd seemed before being interrupted by Cogg, and didn't want to bring that back up. She felt the need to discuss it with Okabe, but hadn't found the chance to do so yet.
Before long, the sound of machinery joined the discordant sound of clocks. The giant clock coughed a puff of smoke: it took a gasping breath of life as its arms shuddered, then slowly moved. Slowly, lights on the connected machinery began to flicker on with an unstable buzz. From underneath the clock, Okabe slid out first, then Cogg emerged with a sweaty face and flecks of oil on his apron.
"Looks like she's up and running! Hold on a moment, I'll kick her into high gear!"
"What kind of clock needs to be kicked into high gear?" Kurisu mumbled to herself, but smiled at Okabe as he approached. "You feeling alright?"
"Better now, that's for sure. It looks li―"
Okabe was cut off by a shuddering jolt that shook the room. He looked around, but the Professor didn't seem to know what was going on either, holding on to Luke as the shaking increased. The light coming from the window flashed erratically, and the giant clock's hands spun far faster than any clock's hands should've. Okabe grabbed onto Kurisu as the feeling of falling increased, as gravity seemed to lose its meaning to those in the room. Faster, faster, they felt like they were falling from the sky itself.
Suddenly, their descent jerked, throwing everyone but Spring and Cogg to the ground. The shaking, falling sensation ceased, but the air felt different―the light shining through the windows was harsher, yet muted, and the sounds of construction bustled outside. Okabe, Kurisu, Luke and Professor Layton stumbled to their feet.
"Are you all right, Luke? Makise? Okabe?"
"Yes, but that was quite a shake!"
"I'm fine, thank you Professor, but what was tha―Okabe!" Kurisu grabbed her boyfriend, who seemed ready to keel over as he stood on shaking legs.
"Outside...check the outside…"
The Professor nodded and ran towards the front door, followed closely by Luke. Kurisu followed, assisting Okabe. One final look back revealed both clockmakers standing silently in front of the giant clock with undecipherable looks upon their faces.
"My word...what is going on here?"
Kurisu heard the Professor's shocked words, but nothing could've prepared her for what stood through the door. Instead of an unkempt backroad, a harshly lit construction site stood to their right and machines puffed smoke all around, throttling the sky with their fumes. The gentle summer light was replaced with harsh, cutting light that peeked through the smog. It barely resembled the road they'd entered the shop from.
Okabe detached himself from Kurisu, leaned over the railing, and threw up.