Hello, my name is Victor Soul and I am pleased to announce my first fanfiction story based on the Professor Layton games by Level 5. It will be based on my own OC Edgar Cipher who will be taking Luke's place as the professor's apprentice in the games, however Luke will appear in the first story. Edgar is an older (14 in the first story) sarcastic, but nevertheless intelligent person with an interest in puzzles, games and mysteries (rather like most of the characters of these games). Hope you enjoy. The Professor Layton series is the creation of Level-5 and Usuke Kumagai. I own nothing but the OC.
The Puzzling Adventures of Edgar Cipher:
The Spectre's call
Prologue
London
Rain fell over the quiet, deserted streets of north London. This was not unusual for anybody who lived in England as the country was notorious for its unpredictable weather. Most of the shops and markets have closed up for the night and the regular crowds that occupied the streets took shelter in their warm safe homes, resting after a long day with their families.
Except for one person.
The figure ran through the quiet allays and vacant back roads. Zigzagging as if it knew the city like the back of their hand.
The dimly lit streetlamps revealed the mysterious figure to a young Caucasian male with shaggy black hair which was covered by grey flat cap worn low over his face to prevent the rain from going into his eyes. If anybody was around at the moment and if was not wearing his cap, they would have noticed his green, intelligent eyes, and his high cheekbones.
He was athletically built for somebody of his age, and stood at a height of 5' 8'' and wore pair of black jeans, a white shirt with the union flag printed on it, a pair of fingerless gloves and a black waist-length leather jacket with a few badges promoting punk rock bands and phrases such as 'Never mind the B*******' on the lapels.
This was Edgar Erno Cipher, a 14 year old London native and now wanted criminal.
A lot had happened in the past 24 hours and many emotions were running through his head.
Anger, hatred, fear, and most of all… regret.
'Why did they do this to me, I did what they asked, it was stupid of me to think they keep their end of the bargain' Edgar thought angrily as he ducked down another side road.
'Those bloody bas- no stop it! you need to focus, you need to think, how am I going to get out of this-' Edgar's self-dialogue was cut short as he noticed the wailing sirens of the Metropolitan police car and had to quickly hide in a nearby alleyway.
Luckily for him, the police car passed his hiding spot and Edgar released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
The position gave him the opportunity to think of his next movement.
'Come on, think of this is a puzzle, you love puzzles and so did-' he stopped that train of thought.
He can mourn later.
'I need to avoid all the main roads and make my way to the local station; King's cross is nearby; I would of course have to avoid the station's security; probably pickpocket an unsuspecting rich fat cat on the way and escape to somewhere in the country; anywhere away from London' with a plan settled on Edgar, once again took off into the night.
He was coming close to the station.
Going down Whidborne Street and onto Argyle Street which will take him to the Euston Road where across the street will be King's Cross and his escape out of London.
The thought of never going back to London saddened him. He spent most of his life in the city; it was his home.
'There's nothing left for me here' he thought reluctantly with a sad sigh 'I have to keep running; keep surviving'.
He turned onto the Euston Road, where he was met with a horrifying sight.
Dozens of eager-looking police officers of all shapes and heights secured the entrance to the station, armed with batons and ready to be the first to arrest the elusive criminal "terrorising" the city's elite.
In all honesty, Edgar was rather flattered that there was such a turnout.
Leading Scotland Yard's finest was Inspector Clamp Grosky, Edgar's greatest nemesis (or rather Edgar being Grosky's greatest nemesis depending on which side of the law you're on).
Grosky was possibly the manliest man in British policing history, with bulging chest muscles a moustache and a lot of chest hair which poked out of the top of his brown suit, which Edgar was always grossed out by. To top off his chiselled features was his large pompadour which seemed to defy gravity or contain a lot of hair product.
From what he could tell from tracking Grosky's career in the London newspapers, he had an impressive arrest rate, far more than any other inspector in the Yard, and was awfully proud of his job with the papers always quoting his catchphrase 'Another win for the Yard'. One win he has not managed to obtain was in catching the unknown criminal who keeps escaping the long arms of the law, something the energetic inspector hated and for Edgar took pride in.
Until tonight.
"Alright men" cried Grosky in his usual macho way as he marched like a drill sergeant in front of the wall of police officers.
"We have finally caught this ne're do well who has been on the run from the law for too long" Grosky continued.
Edgar, now out of view of the police, could not help but feel a little offended.
'I'm not that bad' Edgar dismissively thought.
"With this criminal caught there will be no mocking notes at the scene of the crime" Grosky spat out, a statement which encouraged the officers.
'That was only a little bit of fun' Edgar objected.
"No more buckets of red paint" Grosky further encouraged.
Two officers in line, with notable paint stains on their uniforms, seem to scowl harder and grip their batons tightly at that remark.
'That only happened once' Edgar internally sighed.
"And no more vicious dogs leashed on any officer of the law" Grosky final remark referred to several officers with bandaged legs and arms.
'Ok that was pretty bad, but all they had to do was release the steak I attached to them' Edgar admitted remembering the incident with the stray dogs a week ago.
Grosky turned away from the line of police and holding a megaphone to his mouth only for it to release loud back feed noises, which irritated the police and other bystanders. Grosky gave up on the megaphone and decided to shout instead.
"I know you are out there criminal; we have the whole place surrounded for half a mile".
Edgar frowned in irritation.
"Give yourself up; you can't run forever"
Edgar stared angrily at the ground.
There is no way he was going to lose, not after everything he had been through.
He needs to think, solve this puzzle, there was always another way.
"What's goin' on over there then?" Edgar heard a male voice question nearby.
"Dunno, probably some hooligan 'bout to be caught" another voice responded.
"Good thin' I'm leavin' tonigh', I can't stand London and all this bloomin' crime" the first voiced replied again.
Edgar looked up to see two obese middle-age men observing the police standoff. They were stood in front of a large green van parked on the side of the Euston Road.
What caught Edgar's eye was the words 'LONDON EXPORTS' in white on the side of the van and the partially opened back door.
LONDON EXPORTS + open van + leavin' tonigh' = escape.
Puzzle solved.
Whilst the men were distracted, Edgar snuck into the back of the van and hid himself among its contents.
'I hope he's not going to check his cargo before he leaves' Edgar thought hopefully.
Miraculously, the obese carrier didn't as he close the vans back doors before climbing into the front.
'Thank God for lazy people' Edgar dryly thought as the van lurched forwards.
Edgar caught a glimpse of Grosky and his posse from the rear window as the van drove away. He couldn't help but smile at the thought that he should have left a parting gift for Inspector Grosky, but oh well.
As the van with its extra passenger drove away from the city and out into the countryside, the taxing day Edgar had had took its toll on the young man.
Pulling his cap over his eyes and leaning against the side of the van he soon he drifted off to sleep.
Before falling into his slumber, Edgar whispered three words to nobody in particular:
"I'm sorry Agatha".
Unknown location
The sudden stop of the van woke Edgar with a jolt. Daylight shone into the rear window indicating that it was morning and that he slept peacefully throughout the night.
"Best night's sleep I've had in a long while" Edgar muttered groggily as he stretched his arms above his head.
He remembered the events from last night and decided that this should be a good time to depart his free ride. He noticed the driver talking to police officer with a large pointed nose and his helmet covering his eyes. He was not worried about the police officer as many independent police services tend to not work well with the larger Scotland Yard, so the chance he will be recognised was slim.
This was his chance.
Edgar silently opened the van door from the inside and snuck out.
He took in his surroundings.
In front of him was the entrance to a small village cloaked in thin mist. It consisted of haphazardly constructed brick houses and in the distance a large mansion on top of a hill. A wooden bridge marked the entrance as it crossed over, what Edgar assumed was, a river but the fog was too thick to see through.
Edgar walked towards a signpost at the entrance which bared the name of this unusual village. The name seemed appropriate to the village's aesthetic.
Edgar had heard of it in some newspaper in the past but couldn't remember the story.
As he turned towards the entrance, he stared at the village that will be his new temporary home. Unaware of the adventures, dangers and most of all puzzles that lay ahead of him.
For Edgar, his puzzling adventures started with the village of…
Misthallery.
To be continued…