Chapter Eight
A/N: Sorry it's been a while. I got Miracle Mask and was kinda obsessed with it :) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed or even just read this story! Also, sorry about the 'paste your document here' thing on the end of the last chapter. I forgot to delete it -_- Please review!
The thug held Flora's arms behind her back and kept her from running away as she stood in front of Clive. A strange mixture of anger and pity burned in her eyes as she stared at him. He wasn't doing much, just standing there watching her, trying to figure her out. She had to try and make him see reason- no one sane would even attempt something like what he was doing, but she had to try and get him to stop. She panicked.
"Clive, please Clive this isn't the answer! Trust me. Please, there's another way! I know you want revenge on the Prime Minister. I know all about that explosion. I know how he's responsible. But this isn't justice! This is killing millions of innocent people. Granted, some of them won't be innocent, but most of them are! Just, just stop for a minute and think about what you're doing. People are up there, ordinary people living their own lives and you're just going to take all that and destroy it because you want revenge on one man. How, in your mind, is that justice? What if there's a boy there, the same age you were ten years ago? What if, because of you, he's going to lose his parents, his home? Ringing any bells yet, Clive? What if he then grows up wanting revenge, and constructs something similar to this to get revenge on you? And then the whole thing comes full circle. Would you say that boy had done the right thing? Would you be on his side? I don't think so! There's another way, Clive. You know the truth now- we all do- me and you and the Professor and Luke and Inspector Chelmey and Barton- and we can tell the world! We can bring about real justice. Make the facts public. That's what justice is. Not this. Not full-scale destruction. Wrecking and destroying people's lives isn't the answer. Please." She was babbling now, and knew it, and stopped herself because he was just standing there watching with a slightly- amused look on his face. Clive wasn't going to turn the machine off. Her shoulders sagged a little as she gave up trying to get through to him.
"Huh. I'd have thought you of all people would understand, Flora. Turns out I was wrong." He folded his arms and tilted his head a little, as if trying to solve a puzzle. People were going to die, and he honestly didn't care. But- 'you of all people'? What?
"What do you mean?"
"You're an orphan, like me, Flora. You know what it's like to lose your parents. Tell me, have you ever been bullied? I did my research. Lots of it. I know about St Mystere and the robots. It must have been hard for you, coming to a new school in a new city, no one knowing where you'd come from. They only knew that you were an orphan who'd been adopted by Professor Layton. Surely your classmates weren't that accepting?" He was mocking her now, one eyebrow lifted, showing off that he knew so much about their lives, trying to get her to admit that she was like him.
"I-"
"Of course they weren't. What happened? Or did they stay away because you had your Luke to protect you?" Definitely mocking her. She chose to say nothing. "Answer me! I know you understand." The thug- Lockjaw?- tightened his grip on her arms.
"Ah!" She cried out. "No, they weren't, not all of them. A few called me names, especially when Luke wasn't around, stupid orphan freak and things like that… why does that matter?" Lockjaw loosened his grip a little.
Clive smiled. "See. I knew you'd understand. Well, the prime minister is just one big bully. Bill Hawks- treading on people, ruining lives, all for the sake of progress. Not caring who gets in his way."
"Clive Dove- treading on people, ruining lives, all for the sake of revenge. Not caring who gets in his way. You know what, I don't know how for even a second I thought you were Luke. Luke is kind. He's a gentleman. He's a good person. That's something you'll never be." 'Really? That sounded like something out of a book. Well, definitely not the most important thing here. Besides, I'm quite proud of that- oh, focus, Flora, focus!'
A sudden thought occurred to Clive, and a smirk stretched across his face like the Cheshire Cat. "Look at you. If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for Little Luke." He paused. She blushed. "Yes, you do, don't you? You're blushing. Well, sorry, but he's not going to save you this time. Lockjaw?"
"Yes, boss." Flora was pushed and locked into a glass cage, and master and minion left. She feebly hit the glass twice, then gave up.
'This time? He said Luke wasn't going to save me this time. He knows about Dropstone? I suppose he did research, though it's worrying. Hmm. Well, that didn't go well. I hope the Professor and Luke manage to stop him. All those people… I hope everyone in Future London is alright. Why was Clive talking to me? Just to taunt me? And what he said about Luke at the end… he's right. I'll admit it to myself, he's right, and now I can just forget about it, because it's really not the most important thing right now…'