Wounded Future
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the original story to Professor Layton
Author's Note: Alriiiight! Thanks a lot for the reviews! Reviews help me stay motivated to write this story!
Chapter 6
Dammit! She knows too much. Clive cursed in his head. She's smarter than I've given her credit for. Still, if I distract her enough, maybe she won't tell the Professor about the kidnapped scientist.
The two were seated on a park bench near the Chinatown gate entrance. The Professor and Young Luke had yet to return from their investigation of the Northern parts of Chinatown. Clive sighed as reclined back and crossed his legs. He looked over at Flora who seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him.
Clive raised an eyebrow as he continued watching her, testing how long it would take her to notice. She eventually felt his staring and looked over at him curiously.
"What?" She quickly glanced over at him.
"Nothing, I was just admiring how pretty you were." Clive said with a smirk. Flora's eyes widened as she stared down at her feet. Clive could see her cheeks begin to turn pink as she blushed.
"Thank you," She managed to squeak.
Well, distracting her shouldn't be too hard. Clive concluded. All I have to do is flirt with her blatantly. That might keep her mind off solving this mystery and stop her from telling the Professor about Dr. Avogadro.
The two sat in silence until Clive spotted the trademark top hat headed towards them. They seemed to have come from the Eastern part of Chinatown.
"Oh! There's the professor and Luke!" Flora cried when she spotted them. She jumped up from her seat and jogged towards them.
"Sorry to keep you two waiting." The Professor said as he approached them.
"How was the investigation?" Clive asked immediately.
"Our suspicions that the Towering Pagoda being Future Layton's headquarters were correct, however, the crime boss is not in right now. We were told that he went out for lunch." Professor Layton explained.
"That man over there also told us that Future Layton usually goes to a specific restaurant for lunch." Luke said as he pulled out the flyer from his pockets. "It's called the Thames Arms."
"I know where that is. There was a set of stairs going down towards the river that we passed our way to Chinatown. The restaurant should be located there by the river." Clive said. "The view there is quiet beautiful."
"Oh, goody! A walk by the river sounds nice." Flora chimed in.
"Flora, focus! This is serious business. We're hot on the trail of a criminal!" Luke lectured.
"Aw, Luke, loosen up a little. We're making progress on the case and Flora's just finding a way to enjoy it." Clive defended Flora.
"I suppose that's true." The young boy gave in.
The four exited Chinatown and headed towards the riverside restaurant.
"Thanks for sticking up for me." Flora said quietly when Luke was no longer in earshot.
"Oh, it was no problem at all." Clive smiled modestly. "A true gentleman always defends a fair lady."
Flora blushed again, this time keeping eye contact with Clive. He smiled back as he admired her innocent face.
I guess getting closer to her wouldn't be all that bad. Clive started to reason.
They soon arrived at the hilltop that overlooked the Thames. As they descended the steps to the riverside docks, they noticed a strange looking hare blocking the way to the restaurant.
"Oh, wow! This place is so beautiful!" Flora exclaimed as she headed closer towards the river. She stood at the edge of the docks and admired the scenic landscape.
Clive watched the girl blissfully admire the view when he heard Luke comment about the hare.
"He looks awfully agitated. He looks like he could attack us at any moment!" Luke stopped in his tracks.
"You've always had a way with animals. Why don't you see if you can't befriend the fellow?" The Professor said.
Luke nodded and started to approach the hare cautiously. He then began making a noise with his lips and teeth to imitate the sound of a hare.
Clive's eyes widened as he watched the boy talk to the animal. He looked over at Layton who seemed to be completely unfazed by this unusual behaviour. What was even more shocking was when the hare seemed to respond to Luke. Clive continued to watch, bewildered by this phenomenon. Was it really possible for the boy to talk to animals? Clive had read a few articles and files about Luke Triton during his research but none of them seemed to mention this ability.
That is just all kinds of fucked up. Clive thought to himself.
Before long, their conversation ended and the hare peacefully retreated from the walkway. Luke smiled and placed his hands on his hips in triumph.
"C'mon Professor, the way is cleared now!" Luke exclaimed happily.
"Excellent work, Luke. Come along now, we wouldn't want to miss Future Layton." Professor Layton said. Flora jogged to rejoin the group as they headed towards the restaurant.
Luke pushed the door open slowly, peering in at the wooden restaurant. The interior was completely made up of wood. The floors, the tables, the chairs, and millwork were all made up of wood with very little variation in colour. It seemed to create a very humble and natural atmosphere.
Luke and the Professor scanned the restaurant for a potential Future Layton but the place was empty. The only person within the restaurant was the barkeep who seemed to be busy cleaning the dishes. Clive followed behind everyone else as they entered the restaurant.
"Welcome to Thames Arms." The barkeep called to his guests.
"Good afternoon, sir." The Professor answered as he approached the bar area. "We were actually searching for an acquaintance. We were told that he may have come to this restaurant for lunch."
"Well, as you can see here this place is empty." The barkeep gestured to the rest of the restaurant. "But we did have someone come in here earlier. He's a regular here."
"I see. Is there any more you can tell me about this customer?" The Professor questioned.
"Yeah, he wears a tall top hat like yours. He usually comes in here every day to unwind with a cup of tea. Very quiet, that one, usually doesn't talk much. But he has mentioned that he works in Chinatown."
"Did he come in today?" Luke asked.
"Actually, he did. He just left a few minutes ago. If you came earlier, you would've bumped into him."
"That is very helpful, thank you very much." The Professor said graciously.
The Professor turned around to face his companions.
"It seems Future Layton has already left and has headed back to the Towering Pagoda. We'll have to head over there as soon as possible if we hope to finally meet him." The Professor said with a hand on his chin. The group nodded in agreement and exited Thames Arms.
They soon arrived back in Chinatown in front of the Towering Pagoda Gate. A slim suited man with glasses guarded the gate watching pedestrians suspiciously. Though he didn't wear the usual all-black uniform, it was clear that he worked for the Family.
"Hmph. Back again, I see." The man said, holding onto the rim of his glasses.
"We heard that Mr. Layton was back." The Professor said.
"That's right. He's back. Unfortunately he told me not to allow anyone in. Not without solving a puzzle first." The man then presented the puzzle to the Professor. The Professor and Luke gathered around the puzzle and immediately began towards working out a solution.
"Oh boy, I can't wait to meet the Future Layton." Flora cried in excitement. "I bet he'll be surprised to see us here."
"I'm sure he will, but remember, Flora, this man is a dangerous criminal. Don't underestimate him." Clive warned.
"I'm not scared. The Professor would never hurt me." Flora said with confidence. "And plus, we have the past Professor to protect us!"
"I suppose you're right." Clive agreed as he watched the Professor solve the puzzle. Luke cheered as the mobster stepped out of the way to allow them in.
The large wooden doors began to creek open as the mobster triggered a switch. The gate opened to a pathway leading directly towards the Towering Pagoda where they were to meet Future Layton. The four looked at each other cautiously as they entered through the gateway.
"The Towering Pagoda is just up ahead." Luke said as the gateway doors closed behind them.
"Finally, the Professor of your time is going to meet the Professor of my time." Clive commented.
"That might be hard, seeing as how our professor is currently not here." Flora suddenly chimed. Clive stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. It was true; the Professor was nowhere to be seen.
Where the hell is he? Shit. Where could he have run off to? Clive suddenly began to panic as he scanned the area.
"Huh? Where's the Professor?" Luke looked around, worried.
"He seems to have vanished." Clive noted, trying to act calm.
"But he was just here! He solved the puzzle and we went through the gate all together!" Luke cried. Clive could see that the 10 year old boy was lost without his mentor.
"He was a bit ahead of us at that point. I think he might've waved before he vanished." Flora weighed in.
"But where did he go?" Clive questioned.
"I don't know. But he was smiling when he ran away." Flora said cheerfully.
That's great Flora, that's really fucking helpful. Clive bit his tongue.
"Hey Flora," Luke suddenly chimed in. "There's a slip of paper stuck on your back."
"What?" Flora's eyes widened. "How embarrassing. Someone must be playing a prank on me."
"There's something written on it. It looks like the professor's writing." Clive noted as he scanned the note.
"What's it say? Can you please take it off me?" Flora begged.
"It says 'Please go on without me. I'll catch up with you soon.'" Clive read aloud, smiling to himself as he purposely left the note on Flora's back. "Well, he's never lead us astray before. I think we should do as the note says."
"I agree. This is probably a part of the Professor's brilliant plan." Luke nodded.
"That's great and all, but could one of you please take the note off my back?" Flora began to get impatient.
"I don't know, Flora. I think the note actually compliments your apparel." Clive teased.
"What? You're insane. Now, c'mon, help me out!" Flora continued.
"Seriously, it looks good! Isn't that right, Little Luke?" Clive instigated.
"Definitely!" Luke agreed with a wide smile.
"I see you have not matured one bit in those 10 years!" Flora cried. "You're just as immature, if not more immature, than your 10 year old self!"
"Oh, I disagree." Clive slowly approached Flora. He stood directly behind her and held onto the note.
"I've matured," He leaned in, his mouth inches away from her ear, "and I could show you just how I've matured, if you'd like."
He ripped the taped note off Flora's back effortlessly. Flora's eyes widen as she registered the provocative remark and began to blush. Clive smiled at her as he handed her the professor's note. He then walked ahead of her, following Luke as they ventured towards the Towering Pagoda.
The three walked down the pathway quietly as they narrowed in on the building. Clive could visibly see that Luke and Flora were both very nervous without the Professor's presence.
"I hope we find the Professor soon!" Luke broke the silence.
"Poor thing! You're just lost without him, aren't you, Luke?" Flora teased.
"You're a fine one to talk!" Luke shot back. Clive raised an eyebrow, amused by Luke's remark.
Flora was about to defend herself when she noticed The Professor approaching them.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." Layton said as he regrouped with the gang. "Let's be off."
"Where did you go? One moment you were there, and the next you vanished!" Luke exclaimed.
"My apologies, Luke. I just needed to check something." The Professor answered.
Clive furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the Professor closely.
He's becoming suspicious. Clive thought to himself. Hm, is it possible that the Professor has already figured everything out? There's no way, if he has there would be no point in continuing this charade. He might have some pieces figured out, but definitely not all of it.
"Enough about that. Come along, everyone. The Towering Pagoda is just steps away." The Professor said enthusiastically as he held the rim of his hat. The three obeyed silently as they followed the Professor towards the mysterious tower.
"At last, we're finally here." Luke looked up at the building. "Somewhere, inside this building is the future Professor Layton."
"Perhaps, or perhaps not." Layton started. "I'm suspect this whole affair is more complex than we originally thought."
Shit, just how much has this guy figured out?
The four pushed opened the pagoda doors and entered into the Crime Boss's headquarters.
"No doubt the Professor is probably located at the top level." Luke noted as he admired the foyer. The interior was coloured with a red carpet and red columns. A golden dragon sculpture stood above them from the upper level banister. The dragon leaned downwards towards the entrance to intimidate anyone entering the building. The four walked past the dragon, and headed up the stairs towards the upper level.
Various puzzles were laid out throughout the building as a way of testing the Professor and his companions. As they ascended the building, the puzzles became more and more challenging. Golden dragon sculptures were incorporated into each space, creating an uneasy atmosphere.
Before long, the group reached the top level of the Towering Pagoda. They crossed the Dragon Bridge and approached the entrance doors to the Crime Boss's office.
"Alright, stand back. I'm going to open the door." Professor Layton whispered to his young companions. Layton grasped the door handle and pushed the door open with his shoulder. As the group entered the room they noticed a standing figure with his back turned.
"Excuse me! You there!" Luke suddenly cried.
The figure stood silently in front of the large, floor to ceiling windows. He wore a top hat, much like the Professor's and stood under a large, ticking clock. He then began to turn around slowly, revealing his face to the group.
"Welcome, Hershel Layton." The mysterious man greeted. Both Flora and Luke gasped while Layton stayed calm.
"I had a feeling you were behind this, Dr. Stahngun." Professor Layton said bitterly. "Or, should I say, Dimitri Allen?"
Clive stood completely still as he watched the situation unfold. This is it, if the Professor calls me out now, my whole plan is screwed.
"An impressive deduction," Dimitri clapped sarcastically. "Does anything ever get past you, Hershel?"
"You're the one who has been kidnapping scientists under my name! Why?" Layton demanded.
"Simple. I needed those scientists to help with the Time Machine. I simply used your name so that I could pin the blame on you while disguising myself as one of the kidnapped scientists." Dimitri answered smugly.
"But why me? You could've chosen anyone." Layton argued.
"No, it had to be you. You see, I needed your memories. I need your memory of that fateful day to help complete my time machine." Dimitri answered.
"What fateful day?"
"The day I lost everything." Dimitri answered sadly. "The day I lost Claire."
"Claire..." Both the Professor and Flora repeated. Clive looked over at Flora in surprise.
"You know about Clair?" Clive whispered quietly to Flora. Flora looked back at Clive curiously. She didn't even realize she had whispered the name. She looked back over at the Professor and Dimitri who seemed to be too absorbed in their conversation to notice their whispering.
"No, I don't know anything." Flora whispered back. "I just saw the name in the Professor's notebook."
"His notebook?" Clive echoed.
"Yes, I saw it when I was...rummaging through the Professor's office." Flora said slowly with regret.
"What was in the notebook?" Clive pressed on urgently. Flora's eyes widened, surprised by his eagerness.
"I didn't get a chance to read it. I only got to see a picture that the Professor keeps in it." Flora explained.
"A picture?"
"Yes. Of the Professor, but much younger. He was with a woman." Flora whispered.
"Did you get to a chance to see anything else?" Clive asked.
"No. Some pages were missing in the notebook. I did see some newspaper clippings, but like I said, I didn't get a chance to read them." Flora answered thoroughly. "Why? What's so important about the notebook?"
Clive stopped and thought to himself. If the notebook only recorded what happened to Clair, then there was nothing significant about it. However, if Layton also tracked down the lives of the surviving victims, then Clive would be found out.
"Nothing, I was just curious." Clive finally answered Flora. Flora nodded and the two turned their attention back to Layton and Dimitri.
"Give it up, Dimitri!" Luke suddenly yelled as he pointed an index finger at him.
"Give it up?" Dimitri chuckled to himself. "I'm just getting started."
With the snap of his fingers, the bookshelves in Dimitri's office began to pry apart revealing a tied up and unconscious Bill Hawks.
"As you can see, I have the Prime Minister in my hands. I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you." A sinister smile grew across Dimitri's face.
Suddenly, black iron rods shot up from the floor, enclosing the four inside of a dome. They all gasped in surprised as they realized they were now prisoners inside the office. Luke grabbed hold of the bars and shook them violently.
"I hope there's no hard feelings," Dimitri started. "I simply cannot risk having you guys running around ruining my plans."
"I hate to disappoint you," A voice suddenly said. "But it seems you have failed to ensnare the original article."
Clive looked around to see the Professor standing outside the caged dome. He looked back at the Professor in the dome who seemed as calm as ever.
"Uh... Professor? How'd you get there?" Luke was the first to speak.
"Just what is going on here? Why are there two of you?" Dimitri demanded.
"Which one is the real Professor?" Clive asked.
At that moment, the Professor within the cage took off his hat revealing a unique, parted hair style. He then proceeded to take off the face mask he had been wearing along with the Professor's usual attire.
Flora gasped in shock as the fake Professor revealed his true self.
"Don Paolo?" Luke cried. A sinister looking man stood in front of the group now with his hands placed on his hips.
Clive suddenly noticed Flora who seemed to be inching away from the man in fear. She seemed completely terrified as she coward behind Clive.
"But if he's in here, then where's the real Professor?" Luke continued. The Professor standing outside of the cage stepped forwards towards.
"Help us, Professor! Get us out of here!" Luke pleaded, grabbing hold of the bars.
"Be patient, Luke. I just got to find a way past this lock." The Professor knelt down to examine a keypad on the floor. He studied the lock carefully before reaching downwards to press a button. A loud clanking sound echoed through the room as the iron bars began to lower back into the floor. The group sighed collectively in relief as the dome opened up.
"Oh no!" Luke suddenly yelled. "It's Dimitri! He's gone!"
The group scanned the room quickly, to find that Dimitiri had, indeed, escaped.
"It seems he had taken the Prime Minister with him as well." The Professor noted. Suddenly, a loud alarm began to echo through the Towering Pagoda.
"Dimitri's activated the alarm! This place will be swimming with Family members within minutes!" Clive exclaimed.
"We have to find a way out of here, and quick. Luckily, Dimitri Allen is the type to have alternative escape routes in case of emergencies. All we have to do is locate it." The Professor said. The five scattered around the room looking for a trigger that might open an escape door.
"I think I've got it!" Luke cried as he pushed a button on the desk. A trap door behind the desk began to open revealing a narrow set of descending stairs.
"Oof! That stairway is awfully narrow! And there's more than one path! Which one should we take?" Don Paolo commented.
"Look! There's a map here that charts out the channels of networks below us!" Clive said as pointed at a map on the desk. Layton approached the desk and studied the map. The escape route was laid out like a maze with multiple dead ends. The Professor traced his finger on top of the map and quickly found the correct exit route.
"The walkway is too narrow. We can't all go through at the same time." Clive noted as he stared down into the dark passage. "If we want to get out of here quickly, we'll have to split up into two groups."
"Hm, I don't like it, but we don't have a choice." The Professor agreed. "Now, who should I take with me?"
"You always get to be the gentleman, Layton. Let me escort the young lady." Don Paolo volunteered. Clive noticed Flora latch onto the Professor in fear.
"Sorry, but I prefer that you stay with me, Don Paolo." The Professor apologized.
"Very well then. Flora and I will break off. Luke, you go with the professor to keep an eye on Don Paolo." Clive settled.
"Little Luke, trade with me. I want to be in the Professor's group." Flora said. Clive raised an eyebrow curiously as he heard Flora protest.
"Flora, we'll see each other soon enough. Go with Big Luke, and we'll meet back at the hotel." The Professor insisted.
"Alright, our groups are set then." Clive finally said. "Let's get moving."
The Professor, Luke and Don Paolo were first to descend down the dark staircase. Clive looked down at the passage that seemed to lead into completely darkness. He quickly turned around and began to scour through Dimitri's desk.
"What are you doing?" Flora asked urgently. She watched Clive rummage through the drawers. She looked back at the Professor only to see that his group was now gone.
"They're gone now! We have to hurry! We're gonna get caught!" Flora began to panic.
"Got it." Clive said in triumph. "Alright, let's go then."
The two stood at the top of the stairs looking down into the dark abyss.
"Ready?"
Flora swallowed hard and nodded slowly as the two ventured into the cold, black passage.
Oh snap! The next chapter will be very Clive&Flora oriented.
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