Only then had I realised how much time had gone by. I needed to hurry up, so the plan stayed organised.

"Come along, you two. We need to make our way back to Flatstone Street." I said, trying to keep my voice at an even pace, and not making them thing it was organised.

The three of us then proceeded to getting back to the main hall of the casino. Then, as we started walking to the exit, I knew that Bostro was walking up to us from behind.

"Oh, there you are, boss!"

"Oh!" Layton said, obviously shocked.

"Oi," Bostro started, in his gruff voice, fist clenched at the Professor. "What are YOU doing wearing the boss' getup? This your idea of a joke?"

"No, no, not at all-" Layton started.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen any of you 'round here before." Bostro said, an accusing finger pointing at the three of us. Well, I knew for two thirds, he was lying, so it was more truth than lie.

"Yes, well, we don't often get a chance to visit this fine establishment of yours." Only Professor Layton would come up with something like that.

"Dunno about that, but I'm gonna need you to come with me for some questioning. This way, you three."

As Bostro and I had planned, I made a dash at him, trying to make him 'distracted'. "Oof! Professor, run away while you can!" I shouted, out of breath. Unfortunately for me, Bostro didn't know the definition of 'soft', so he had nearly winded me. "Ow!" I yelped as Bostro smacked me in the collarbone.

"Oh, no!" Luke yelled.

"Quickly, you two! This way!"

"Don't let 'em escape! Ya hear?!" Bostro yelled, pointing to the rest of the Family.

The rest of the main members of the Family had aligned themselves next to him, and all of them pointed at us with their left hand, screaming "Don't let them escape!"

The Family minions run down the stairs of the casino, and pulling their guns out, taking shots wherever they felt like, because if they did that, one of them had to have a lucky shot eventually, right?

The people having fun playing their games gasped, shocked about their games getting ruined. None got shot though, just shocked.

Behind the fruit machines, their current place of shooting, Layton was on one knee and Luke was in a crawling position leaning against the furthest one in the block of about ten. This cost good money, this had better be good.

"We're surrounded, Professor!" I heard Luke yell. He sounded like he was in distress. The naïve boy didn't even know it was a game.

"Calm yourself, Luke." The Professor reassured him. "I have a plan."

Layton stood up, before running away from Luke at a fast race. "But, wait!" Luke yelled, completely shocked and scared now he was alone. "Where are you going?" Luke said, about to get up aswell, but when a shot landed inches from the hand he was going to push up on, he scrunched up in a small ball, his hands clamped on his hat.

Layton shot down the row of machines, narrowly missing several shots. He leaned up against a machine two rows away from me. Looking at me to come up next to him, I checked it was safe to go, before plummeting myself forward with a forward roll before leaning up against the machine next to him. "Do you see a way out of this?" I asked. Since we didn't want the casino looking a mess when they came in, this was our first attempt, and so far, it was pretty successful.

"I do, but I'll need your help!"

I physically carried on doing what I was told, but my brain went on to other thoughts. Layton wanted me to help him. Apart from the plans for this, nobody wanted my help. I suddenly felt important, and I felt like I actually felt worth something. I mentally smiled to myself, before realising we were in the middle of building something made up of parts of the slot machine. I didn't have a clue what is was, but it eventually made shape, and revealed to be a gun?

Eh, fighting fire with fire may work.

Layton hauled up the 'slot machine gun', and used the handle as the trigger. Holding it in place, I grabbed a bucket and filled it with coins, pouting them into the mouth of the gun, ready to be pelted at the Family. Layton had a strong face of determination on, so I didn't say a word.

As the coins went flying, I grabbed my hat, the bucket in the other hand, as our two coats flapped wildly with the pressure of the gun. As the family got attacked by the coins, they fell over like dominoes. It looked painful.

The Senior members of the family were panicking aswell, more than the minions. A coin was currently going straight for Bostro's forehead, and he had covered his face so it didn't hit him in the eye by accident. They looked realistic enough, so I mentally sighed to myself.

"We can't win this fight!" Bostro said, squinting.

The senior members raced out of the casino as Bostro added "Fall back boys, fall back!"

Layton placed the gun down next to his feet. I was actually impressed by how quick he had thought of that, I thought we would have had to make a dash at the rate the guns were going. I smiled with appreciation at him, standing next to his right shoulder. Now fully grown, I reached his shoulder, I only reached his chest on our first meeting.

"I say, that was a close one." Layton smiled.

Luke bounced up on his left. "We gave them a taste of their own medicine!"

"Funny…I don't remember you helping." I said, chuckling to myself. Luke looked offended, while the Professor's mouth was in an 'o' shape, obviously waiting for his reaction.

"Look, you're me! So that means I get some credit for assisting." Luke folded his arms in triumph, obviously not realising we didn't even share one initial or length of name.

"Oh, is that so?" I said. I felt like strongly laughing at the boy, who was looking pretty chuffed with himself, but it just came out as a small manly giggle.

"That's very…interesting logic." Layton said to the boy.

I realised that if we were to follow the schedule, we would have to get moving pretty soon. Pouting slightly, I put my hand to my cap (a bad habit I had when I was thinking, or it was playing with a curl in my hair), and rubbed the back of my head.

~x~

The three of us had left the casino and were standing in the area outside, where people pulled up and entered. The building looked just as beaten on the outside as it did on the inside.

"So, um, Mr. Triton, where are we headed?" Luke asked. Did he really have to call me that? It wasn't as if he didn't know my 'name'.

Luke, please call me anything but Mr. Triton. It's really strange being called that by myself." And I was sick of being called Mr. Dove also by the posh people who came and saw Constance when she was still alive. It was if I didn't have a name! Oh dear, I'm daydreaming again!

It's pretty awkward for me too. But what else am I supposed to call you?" Luke asked.

"I don't see why you can't be called Luke." Thanks Professor, I accidentally was about to say Clive. "Should the need to distinguish you apart arise, you can be Big Luke, and you Little Luke." Alright, I'll play this little fun game.

"I'm not too keen on Little Luke, but it beats all this confusion." Luke said.

"Whatever you say goes, Professor." I smiled, decided to start playing a little game. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Little Luke!"

"Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine, Big Luke!" Luke smiled

"Heh heh. Now where are we?" I asked. "Oh, yes. There's something I need to check up on." I said. "Professor, on your way to the casino, did you pass a restaurant in the shopping arcade?"

"The one near the southern exit to the arcade?" The Professor asked.

"That's the one. We'll head there first. A friend of mine is waiting for us there."

The three of us walked past the fancy cars, looking priceless against the battered building, before walking back into the main town.

As we entered the alleyways, we saw one of the scientists standing there, slouching. Oh, no, Dimitri, you didn't let him…

His name was Horace. That was all I knew about the scientists, their names. "AUGH!" he yelled. "Why are you sneaking up on me like that?! You almost gave me a heart attack." He said.

"S-sorry, sir." Luke apologised. "I didn't think a simple hello would scare you so much."

"I was lost in thought and didn't see you there. Anyway, I have things to take care of. Good-bye." Phew, I was safe.

"Hmm. How odd." Layton said, in his train of thought, arms folded.

"What's odd, Professor?"

"Take a look at the ground, Luke."

I looked down at the same time Luke did. From where Horace had walked, there were footprints. And it looked like they were from wet feet.

"Hmm. That man left wet footprints, even though it hasn't rained since we got here." They found a clue. Damn. "So, why were his shoes wet?"

"I haven't the foggiest?" Layton mused.

The two of us walked further into town, talking briefly to a woman named Berta. Once we got close enough, I spoke to Luke. "Just a little farther, Luke. Were almost to the arcade now."

"I know. We walked through there earlier."

"Oh, right. Of course you did. You mentioned that before, didn't you?" I said. I just couldn't get my brain to focus, what was wrong with me today.

That was when I thought of one reason. It's the anniversary of my parent's funeral.

"Yeah…" Luke said. Get back on track, Clive! "Hey, you know, there's something I've been wondering about."

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"Well, a time machine able to take people to any point in time could really change the world." Luke started. It's not real, I thought. Well, at least I had got back on focus. "Not just that—it could improve people's lives!"

"Yes," I sighed. "It certainly has the potential to do that."

"So, even though the machine could do so much for people, you want to stop it being made." Luke stated.

"Think about this scenario. Imaging there's a bully who's always giving you trouble." Such as the deceased Jackson Samson.

"Go on."

"Now, let's say you had that time machine we've been talking about. Would you travel in time to when that bully was a bratty five year old and whale on him?" If only I could have done that to Jackson, he might not be dead then, so it's good for both of us.

"Of course not! That'd be cruel."

"Of course you wouldn't, because you've got a good heart." I mused. "But imaging the damage someone less kind could do with a machine like that." Such as me.

I guess I never thought of it that way. We've got to stop that machine from being built!"