Here's the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it :)
Dikratsblim- You're very welcome. It's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you have been doing well since then. Also have you seen the new trailer for 'The New World Of Steam'? It looks amazing. I've made a small omake on it at the end.
Thank you so much for reading as always and I do hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Djinn - So am I. Thanks for reading.
wellingtonlucas282- No problem, thank you for reading. In regards to your review on my other story, I'll try my best to upload a new chapter as fast as possible. It makes me happy to know you liked it.
Thank you for reviewing :)
Chapter 4: A Day Out In London Part 2
Outside Scotland Yard, Central London
After a quick stop over at the university to drop their shopping off, they got on the bus and headed straight to Scotland Yard; the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police and Edgar's worst nightmare. What they had gathered from Grosky earlier was that Scotland Yard knew and were currently investigating Targent and they needed to know how and bus came to a halt and allowed them to step off on to the pavement and crossed the street towards the red brick buildings. Aurora, who kept to Edgar's side for all this time, stared up at the building in wonder before she turned to Edgar.
"I'm sorry, but what is this place and why are we here?" she asked shyly.
"This is Scotland Yard," Edgar explained, "They stop crime and maintain the peace here…well, try to anyway," he muttered, "As for why we're here, we need to know how they know about Targent and, hopefully, we can learn more about them."
"It's best to have a better understanding on who we are facing," Layton chimed in, "We may even add our own contribution to their investigation."
"But we'll keep you a secret, of course," Emmy said, giving her a reassuring smile, "If anybody asks, you're a schoolgirl who is training to become an archaeologist in the future."
"O-okay," Aurora said with a nod as they came to a stop before the steps up to the front door, "But what is she doing?" she asked, pointing to a familiar person up ahead, "Is she stopping crime and/or maintaining the peace."
They looked ahead to where she was pointing and sighed wearily.
"No…" Edgar muttered, "Hannah is…just being Hannah?"
Hannah, a lady who is too obsessed with Inspector Grosky and head of the Clampettes, stood before the doors to Scotland Yard and fluttered about with red hearts in her eyes; cooing and sighing dreamily; much to the chagrin of the police officers trying to get on with their job. It looks as if she was in one of her lovesick moods…again, thinking about the bravery of believed Grosky. Edgar wondered how on earth she managed to not be homeless; all this admiration and stalker must take up a lot of time from doing her actual job. They tried to walk around her, but the red haired lady noticed them instantly.
"Oh my. Professor Layton, Emmy Altava and Grosky's nemesis," Hannah said with a cheery grin, "It's been a while, hasn't it."
"I have a name, you know," Edgar muttered.
"Good day to you miss Hannah," Layton greeted politely, "How are you?"
"Very well, very well," she said before she sighed and twirled around, "I just discovered Grosky's latest daring feat. Taking on an entire evil organisation all on his own. How wonderful!"
Emmy rolled her eyes, "Well, of course you know all about it."
"Wait," Hannah said as she slowed to a complete stop, "Should I be really telling members of the public about this? This is confidential," she hummed with a deep frown.
"You're a member of the public as well!"
Aurora leaned over to Edgar and whispered in his ear, "Is this person alright? She's acting quite strange."
"We're still debating that," Edgar whispered back.
As soon as she said that, Hannah's eyes flicked over to Aurora; finally noticing her presence after all this time.
"Oh, you're new. I haven't seen you before," she said in a gentle tone. She leaned in close to the younger girl's face and smiled pleasantly, "Would you be interested in joining the Clampettes? We meet up every other day and we do activities such as talking about Inspector Grosky, following Inspector Grosky on his daily patrol, sharing Inspector Grosky fanfiction and even have a bake sale to raise money to go on field trips to places where Inspector Grosky will be! Doesn't that sound like fun?"
"Err…" Aurora uttered in confusion, taken back by how quickly she was speaking. She glanced at Layton, Edgar and Emmy over Hannah's shoulder and saw them shake their heads at her, "…no, thank you. It's kind of you to offer."
"Shame," Hannah pouted, "Ah well, I guess it's still just me."
'She does all of that on her own, huh?' Edgar thought with a sweat drop, feeling a little bad for the older woman.
Entering through the oak doors, they entered the bustling foyer of Scotland Yard. Everybody from constables to office workers rushed around as they got on with their jobs; filing reports, answering phones, escorting criminals, that were in desperate need of locking up, to their cells. Edgar noticed that Aurora seemed curious and overwhelmed by all this activity and so he gently led her by the arm across the foyer, making sure she didn't accidentally crash into somebody running past.
"This takes me back," Edgar said as he turned to Emmy, "Remember we travelled here when we investigating Misthallery."
"Oh, of course," Emmy said, "Good times. It was our first joint investigation work, wasn't it?"
Edgar sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah…but, I was kind of git back then."
"Oh, Edgar," she chuckled, "You're currently still a git. But I admit, you have made some improvements."
They finally made their way across the foyer and approached the front desk. A police officer, with his helmet perched over his eyes, was busily doing some paperwork when he looked when he sensed their appearance. He immediately dropped what he was doing and offered them a friendly smile.
"Ah! Professor Layton and his colleagues," the officer said, "It's been a while since you've come down."
"Good afternoon, Constable," Layton greeted with a tilt of his hat, "It has, hasn't it?"
"What can I do for you? If you're here to talk to Inspector Grosky then you're too late I'm afraid. He just ran in and then ran out only a few minutes ago."
"Actually, we were wondering if we can access Scotland Yard's archives," Layton requested, "We have something important to look up."
The officer hummed at that, "Sorry. We don't allow anybody in. We've upgraded security ever since we had somebody brake in a few years ago. He stole some files and set off some cherry bombs inside. Very dangerous, that is. He could have set the entire place on fire."
Layton and Emmy gave Edgar the side eye while he looked away and whistled nonchalantly.
"However," the officer continued, "If you can get the approval of a superior officer than they can give you access the the archives."
"I don't think we know anybody else other than Grosky," Emmy hummed thoughtfully.
"You have a point," Edgar said, "I guess we have to track him down and get his permission."
"How likely would it be to track him down?" Aurora asked.
"With him running around like a headless chicken; very slim chances," Emmy said, "I guess we have to wait."
Layton, however, shook his head, "I don't think we have to. There's is another high ranking officer that we have been aquatinted with. Do you remember Detective Inspector Bloom from when we were in Monte D'Or?"
"Oh yeah, that guy," Edgar uttered in realisation, remembering the stern man they had met a few months ago, "He was overseeing the investigation into the miracles made by the Masked Gentleman. He kind of disappeared into thin air after that. I wonder what happened?"
"He must have had an urgent call back to London," Emmy said, "It's a shame he didn't stay around until the end. He could have been helpful."
Layton turned back to the officer behind the desk, "By any chance, is Detective Inspector Bloom in today?"
"He is, yes," the officer confirmed, "He's in his office on the forth floor. Take the stairs up there," he said, pointing to a staircase in the far side of the foyer.
They thanked him and headed straight for it. However, they stopped for a few seconds when a police officer was leading a skinny man by his handcuffed hands, escorting him to the nearest prison cell.
"Oh come on!" the skinny man yelled, "Tell me how you solved my number puzzle!" he exclaimed before he spotted Edgar and gave him a small nod as they passed, "Alright Edgar."
"Alright Greg," he replied back.
Aurora blinked in surprise and stared at the skinny man as he was led out of the foyer. She frowned curiously and turned to him.
"Wait, wasn't that-"
"Let's not lag behind," Edgar interrupted casually as he gently pushed a bemused Aurora towards the stairs.
Bloom's Office
The room was neat and tidy.
It seemed slightly out of place from the hubbub and rush that was rife throughout the rest of Scotland Yard. No loud tapping of typewriters, no haphazard stacks of paper piled on the edge of desks and not a single speck of dust and grime that had to be cleaned up. Bloom's office was, in all sense of the word, efficient. A simple bureau in the middle of the office, a looming bookcase filled with neatly organised files on the right wall, a large framed display of policeman epilates hung on the left wall and rather nice view of Westminster can be seen from the windows on the far end of the room. Other than the steady tick of the wall clock and the scribbling of pen on paper, it was silent when they entered; the noise of the busy office outside seemed to fade away as soon as the door closed behind them.
Bloom sat at his desk and poured over his paperwork with his sharp eyes. However, he glanced up as soon as they entered, placed the pen he was writing down on the bureau and offered a friendly look.
"Layton. What a surprise," he greeted, "I wasn't expecting you to visit. I would have made tea for you and your companions," he said.
As he spoke, his eyes flickered towards Aurora who was keeping herself hidden behind Edgar and Emmy. Edgar noticed the look he gave her, but it was too subtle for him to say anything about it.
"Thank you, but there's no need. We're actually can't stay for long," Layton said as he approached the bureau.
"I see," Bloom hummed as he leaned back in his chair, "I must apologise for leaving so suddenly when we were in Monte D'Or. There was an emergency back in London that I had to see to."
"Well, you certainly missed out on all the fun," Edgar piped up, "We almost got swallowed up by the surrounding desert. I was cleaning sand out only clothes for weeks after that."
"Yes, I remember reading about that in the newspaper. I hope none of you were harmed in the catastrophe."
Emmy shook her head, "Luckily not. It was certainly something that I won't forget too soon."
"Indeed," Bloom said with a nod, "Now how may I help you?"
"We're are conducting an investigation and we just need some case files from the police archives," Layton explained, "However, it seems we're not allowed in without a superior's authorisation."
"Oh I see," Bloom hummed as he leaned back in his chair, "Well, I don't see why not. You have a solid reputation within Scotland Yard," he reached for the telephone on his desk and picked up the receiver, "I'll just inform the front desk and a constable would allow you in. Unfortunately, I have a meeting in a few minutes so I can't join you."
Layton smiled contently at that, "Thank you. We really appreciate it."
"That was easy," Emmy hummed as they all turned to leave.
However, before they could even turn the door knob, Bloom called out to them once again.
"My apologies, I don't think we've been introduced yet," Bloom said as he got up from his chair. He walked around his desk, crossed the green rug that was laid across the floor and stopped in front of Aurora, "My name is Detective Inspector Bloom," he said as he put out his hand for her Tom shake, "What is you name, madam?"
Aurora was taken aback slightly by his greeting; she didn't expect him to actually acknowledge her and so she nervously shook him by the hand.
"Aurora," she answered quietly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Is she a new assistant of yours, Professor?"
Layton hesitated slightly, "Err…well…"
Lauyton felt uncomfortably about lying to Bloom. He couldn't really tell him the truth considering that there's a chance that the looming threat of Targent happened to overhear. However, lying would only lead on to more questions and Layton was reluctant to give anymore falsehoods, especially to a senior police officer. That's why Edgar thought it was a good time for him to step in and settle things before they get distracted.
"She's in my class from school," Edgar told him, not having any problems lying to the police, "She's been thinking of having a career in archaeology and so I offered to invite her along and shadow us for a few days to really get a sense of what it's like. Isn't that right Aurora?"
"Oh…err… yes," Aurora replied unsurely, "I wish to learn of Layton's profession."
"I see," Bloom said, "But why take the young lady to a police station of all places. Shouldn't she learn more at the university?
Emmy cleared her throat, "Well, we got a little sidetrack with this case we're working on," she said before placing a hand on Aurora's shoulder, "We're really sorry about this, but, once this is over, we'll head back to Gressenheller and then we'll give you a proper induction."
"I…understand," Aurora plainly said,
Bloom hummed in understanding and gave a curt nod, "Very well. I wish you all the best in your studies," he told her before he turned to Layton, "Anyway, I'll just give the constable a call and he'll have the keys ready for you when you get down to the foyer."
"Thank you, detective Bloom. We appreciate it."
They, once again, headed for the door in order to the get to the archives located in Scotland Yard's basement. Edgar was the last to leave but, before he stepped out of the room, he looked back at abloom standing in the middle of his office with a thoughtful expression.
"This may sound out of the blue, but, back in Monte D'Or, you said it was nice to finally meet me," he said, "I've just been wondering what you meant by that?"
Bloom gave a slight hum and folded his arms behind his back, "I meant no malice at all," he calmly replied, "It's just rather fascinating to see someone so notorious walking around freely. Especially one that has evaded Scotland Yard for so long."
"Do you wish I was locked up instead?"
Bloom raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile, "Does what I think matter now? After all, you're free to do as you please."
Edgar stared blankly at him; not once breaking contact with the other man who merely smirked back at him. After a few seconds, Edgar finally turned away and stepped out of the doorway.
"No," he called back to him, "It really doesn't matter," he said as he closed the door behind him.
Police Archives
The smell of stale old paper and dust was the first thing that greeted them as they inside the archives; the steady of hum of the fluorescent lights overhead illuminated the room with a dim light and the air was damp and had the lingering smell of old mould from somewhere in the room.
It had been a while since Edgar had stepped inside the archives in Scotland Yard's basement and he was sure that it has gotten a lot worse since then; rows and rows a of bookcase filled the large space with each shelf packed with files, papers and boxes to the point that they look ready to fall out. There were files scattered on the ground, a ladder haphazardly leaning against the side and, to his disgust, a half-eaten sandwich covered in mould and perched on the edge of a cluttered table.
"It's quite…umm…" Aurora hummed as she glanced across the room, "…gloomy in here."
"Very," Emmy agreed, "They really need to give this place a clean. This is no way to store important files, especially for the police."
"All of this is going to make it harder to find what we need," Edgar muttered before he gave Layton a questioning look, "What are we trying to find anyway?"
"Reports on anything to do with theft in the last couple of years," Layton said as he gently brushed a layer of dust off a shelf, "We know that Targent are after Azran artefacts so let's look for reports that may indicate their involvement."
Edgar hummed thoughtfully, "So we're looking for crimes targeted at museums, galleries, universities or private collections. Shouldn't be too hard. There're not usually common."
"Right," Emmy said with a nod, "Let's divide the workload and take a shelf each. We'll get through this in no time."
In no time they got to work, Layton took the shelves on the far left of the room; Aurora took the next couple of rows while Edgar and Emmy took the next few.
The professor scanned the shelf with his beady eyes, looking from one book or file to another critically. His attention was caught by a large red file several places down with a label that read 'Missing Reports'. He hummed curiously, pulled the file off the shelf and opened it up to find nothing in there. He frowned slightly before he gave another hum in realisation.
"Oh, I see. How humorous," he said before he slid the file back into its place.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Emmy was inspecting a pile of books that was perched on the edge of a shelf and tutted in annoyance; she began to sort them properly back onto the shelf, thinking that the pile would have fallen on somebody's foot if they accidentally knocked into it. She paused as she took one good look at one book in particular and noticed that it was a fictional detective novel; she rolled her eyes and tossed it onto a nearby table.
Not too far away, Edgar was sorting and inspecting some cluttered papers when he noticed Aurora gracefully looking through a row of books. He watched her wipe a layer of dust from a spine of a book which accidentally got into her face, making her sneeze gently.
'Aww, she's sneezes like a kitten,' he thought, holding his hand over his mouth with a blush in his cheeks, his face sparkling in joy.
"Let me guess," Emmy said as she poked her head around the corner of the bookshelf, making him snap out of it, "You were thinking that she sneezes like a baby rabbit."
"A kitten actually," he corrected, "And you were thinking it to."
"Oh yeah," she said as they both watched Aurora struggling to reach to a high shelf, her face scrunched up and her eyes closed tightly.
"So adorable," they both whispered.
Emmy coughed and looked towards, "Anyway, I didn't want to ask you this in front of Aurora, but is there a chance that some of these thefts were…you know… from your past?" she asked before gave him an apologetic look, "I'm not accusing you or anything, I just-"
"I know," he whispered back to her, "And I don't think so. I remember a lot of things I've stolen in the past and none of them were remotely related to the Azran. Just some vases, jewellers, an antique piano, furniture…"
"Antique piano?" Emmy murmured in confusion.
"Long story. Anyway, my point is that I don't think I've done stolen anything for Targent.." he trailed off and gave a saddened sigh, "…but if I somehow did then I would be helping the people trying to take away Aurora. That would be-"
"Not your fault," Emmy interrupted, much to his surprise.
"But Emmy-" he began to complain before Emmy gently flicked his forehead to her him to stop.
"It's wouldn't be your fault," she repeated with a comforting smile, "As you said, there's a slim chance that you stole anything Azran. But if you did then you shouldn't blame yourself. It's all in the past, okay?" Stop worrying about what you could have done and focus what you can do now. Or else I'll beat you up," she said with a wink.
He gave an amused sigh, a small smile starting to form on his lips.
"Alright fine…but not because you told me to."
"Oh sure it is," Emmy said with a roll of her eyes before she turned her attention back to her shelf. After a few seconds of folder searching, she found something that looked promising, "Aha! What's this?" she called out, catching everyone's attention. As they walked over to her, her eyes began to scan the pages of the file which made her hum in interest, "I found something about…a robbery at a museum."
Aurora's head perked up, "Like the one happened at the museum a few hours ago?"
Layton turned to her in interest, "How do you mean?"
"Aurora and I passed a museum before we met up with you two," Edgar explained, "But it was closed. Apparently a robbery has taken place not too long ago, but I can't say it's the same incident."
"No, this is a different one," Emmy confirmed, "However, it's the same museum. And it's not the the first time either. It has been robbed five times this year alone."
"Five times!?" Edgar exclaimed, "Surely it can't be the same person every time. Nobody's that stupid to rob a place five times in a row. Definitely nobody I used to know."
"It says here that all the items that were stolen had been recovered," she continued, "every time the thief stole something, they lost it again. Not a very good thief by the sounds of it."
"Huh? Maybe they are that stupid after all," Edgar said as he rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly, he thought of an idea, "You know, Descole's been very quiet ever since Monte D'Or."
"Descole" Emmy repeated as she snapped the file shut, "You mean Mr I-Like-To-Wreck-Things-With-Mechanical-Monsters-And-Dress-Up-As-Posh-Ladies Descole?"
"Nice one," Edgar said as they fist bumped, "and why not? He's constantly looking for Azran artefacts. He's almost destroyed three places just to get his hands on them. Is it possible that this is related to him?"
Layton rubbed his chin, "I can' say for certain. However, I feel that we need more than just one crime report. You said that they're currently investigating a new robbery at the museum, am I correct?"
"You are."
"Well then, I suggest we do a little investigating ourselves," Layton suggested, "Let's head to Kensington right now."
Outside The Museum
Another bus ride later and the team of four were now outside the museum once again, walking towards the front door that was still guarded by a police officer. As soon as they were close enough, the officer finally noticed them and shook his head.
"Sorry, the museum is closed to all visitors. Please come again tomorrow," he ordered.
Aurora hummed and frowned, "They're still not open."
"It would appear not," Layton said before he turned to the officer, "I was wondering if we could assist with the investigation. You see, it's something related to what we are-"
"Sorry sir. No members of the public allowed. Only the police force and permitted guests are allowed to go inside."
They all shared a look as he said that as they wondered what they should do to get inside. However, before they could say anything else, a new voice called out to them from behind, making them turn around.
"Hershel, is that you?" asked Clark Triton as he climbed up the stone steps towards them, "What brings all of you here?"
It had been a while since they've seen Clark; ever since he stepped down as they mayor of Misthallery, he had been busy with his new job and taking care of Luke. However, his appearance, although surprising at first, was met with a content smile from the professor.
"Clark, it's good to see you. We actually were hoping to investigate certain matters in the museum, but it appears to be closed," Layton explained.
"Investigating?" Clark repeated, "fancy that! So am I."
"Oh Doctor Triton, I presume, "the officer uttered before he saluted him, "Go ok in, please."
Clark gave him a polite smile, "Just one moment, constable," he said before the turned back to them, "I can only assume we're looking into the same thing. Are you here because of the artefacts."
"Indeed," Emmy confined, "However, not to sound rude, but why would they call for you personally."
"Not at all. Actually, something usually has occurred," Clark said as he stroked his long beard, "The curator noticed something odd about some items that were recovered after being stolen. He asked for me to examine them."
"Unusual in what way?" Edgar asked.
"Good question. We'll have to see," Clark said before he hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps you can help me, Hershel. Two pairs of eyes are better than one."
"Thank you Clark. That'll be great."
After getting permission from the police, the officer let all of them through and into the marble lined halls of the grand museum. Hundreds of exhibits were displayed for the enjoyment of the public; everything from archaeological finds from hundreds of years ago to more modern inventions were gracefully put out on show. They entered the great circular hall where the centre of the museum was; in the centre was the large skeleton of the greyish bones of tyrannosaurs rex which was, by far, one of the main exhibits in the entire museum. As they were escorted by another officer around the hall towards a set of stairs, Edgar watched Aurora stare at the t-rex skeleton puzzlingly.
"Do you recognise it?"
She frowned slightly, "It does seem familiar. Although, I have to say, I find it peculiar why you would displayed its bones."
Edgar shrugged, "Finding the rest of it is a bit more difficult," he told her before he looked towards the officer leading them up the stairs, "So, constable, how did the thief steal the artefacts. I would have thought security would have been tighter after the fifth robbery."
"I thought so to," the officer replied as he stroked his chin, "It's impossible. There's no way that it could have happened again. Since the first robbery, we've been given special training and we've improved security protocol."
Emmy hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe somebody knows when the guard changes over or their routes?"
"Impossible!" the officer shouted, making all of them jump in surprise, "We anticipate such risks. All information about the guard rota is strictly confidential and heavily protected. We do a background check on every guard on the building. Even then, we tell them only what they absolutely need to know…and yet…"
"And yet they get stolen," Edgar finished his sentence, earning a sad sigh from the officer, "At least you're trying. That's good enough."
"You're not making me feel any better," he sniffed.
They were led into one of the smaller exhibition rooms before having a table on the other side of the room being pointed out to them. They quickly approached the table and saw something that made them cringe. On the table, placed on a white sheet, were nine bluish green block fragments that used to form a larger artefact. However, it was now completely broken and sorted neatly in a square formation. On each block of stone there was a craved symbol with each block having being different in shape; the symbols were nothing that Edgar recognised and assumed it was much older then any classical language he was aware of.
"That is troublesome," Clark muttered as he stroked his head, "The curator explained that one of these fragments had been the one that has been recovered…but now I see the damage. It was an extremely archaeological find that merited closer study. It's anachronistic, you see."
Edgar couldn't help but since at that. Anachronistic meant something or someone that doesn't belong to the time it was found due to its design or its nature. In other words, it's like finding an electrical washing machine in Tutankhamen's tomb or a chocolate fountain in amongst the Terracotta army or a decent politician in modern day Britain. A find like this is exceptional and now it was in mere pieces.
"However," Clark continued, "the curator noticed something odd when comparing them to the catalogue photos. As I was part of the dig team that unearthed the artefacts, he asked me to have a look."
Layton raised an eyebrow in intrigue, "And what is your conclusion?"
"Some of them are fake."
To their surprise, Aurora was the one to speak up. Her eyes were fixed on the stone blocks as she inspected every single one; an unreadable expression evident on her face. Edgar, Layton and Emmy shared a look while Clark frowned in confusion.
"Fakes?" he asked.
Aurora responded by picking two of the stone blocks up and setting to the side, "Those two are the only genuine ones. The others are fake."
Clark took a closer inspection of the blocks, his eyes narrowing in concentration. After a few seconds, he finally leaned up and nodded.
"You're correct. All of them, apart from these two, are fake. How did you know?"
Aurora seemed to snap out of her daze and stepped back shyly, "I-I don't know. I just knew, that's all."
"How extraordinary."
Edgar, deciding that it was best to move on, coughed to gain everyone's attention, "So, most of them are fake. What does that mean?" he asked before he quickly jotted down the new mystery into his notebook.
New Mystery - 'The Artefact Deception': Our investigation into Targent has, unintentionally, lead us to several robberies taken place at the museum. Aurora has confirmed that most of the strange artefacts were fake, but he culprit or how this happened it mystery.
"Well, let's see," Emmy said as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Can you tell us a little bit more about the artefacts, Doctor Triton."
Clark frowned thoughtfully "There are certainly remarkable. All five artefacts were found on different digs, but always deeper than anything previously found in the area. The artefacts were all gifted by different donors and they were all certified genuine at the time they were received."
"Was there a suggested date of origin for these finds?"
"Not really," Clark confirmed, "estimates were taken but none of the experts could propose either a terminus post or ante quem. They didn't seem to belong to any civilisation known to have inhabited the area in which they were found."
"That sounds like Azran to me," Edgar said, "Which means that Targent must have had a hand in this."
"I'm sorry Targent?" Clark inquired.
"An organisation that we are currently looking into. They have been known to steal Azran artefacts and take over sites," Layton explained briefly.
"Oh dear," Clark murmured, "That does sound terrible. However, if it was them, it does not tell us how they did it. As the constable said, after the first incident, the police tightened the security on this place tenfold. All information about the museum was on a need-to-know basis, and they took particular care with the guard routes and timetables. I really can't imagine how a thief could have sneaked in and out unnoticed on river separate occasions."
"You are correct," Layton said as he rubbed his chin in thought, "And I'm sad to say that it could only mean one thing. The culprit must be inside Scotland Yard."
Clark took a step back in shock, "You can't be serious, Hershel?"
"I know, right," Edgar sighed with a roll of his eyes, "corruption in the police force? Who would have ever thought that?"
Layton morbidly nodded, "It make sense. I recall what Edgar had said not too long ago. Thieves are not foolish to rob somewhere more than once. It must be somebody else that we have never considered…maybe because we usually put our trust in them. If only the police know of the rota then it can only be somebody in their ranks who is the culprit."
"I say," Clark uttered "That's terrible."
"Hold on," Edgar said, "I just realised something. You said that there had been five reported robberies and all the stolen items have been recovered," he turned to Aurora, "How many artefacts did you say were fake?"
The young girl looked over the artefacts once again, "Five of them. Only two of them are real."
"Five robberies. Five fakes," Emmy muttered in understanding, "Could it be possible that the fake items were the ones that had been recovered. Doctor Triton, how hard would it be to create copies that would fool experts at the museum?"
"Very difficult," Clark answered, "it's not just a question of time and money. You'd need archaeological expertise, expert craftsmen…"
"Those are definitely things that an evil cooperation hellbent on gathering ancient objects have access to," Edgar said.
"What they didn't have was a way to return the fake artefacts to the museum without rousing suspicion," Layton said, "unless they used the investigation to their advantage," he looked over his shoulder at the officer at the door and spoke in a quieter tone, "It's possible that this police investigation is all a sham?"
Edgar nodded, "Now that you said it, the officers don't seem to know a lot about the recovery of the artefacts."
"They did seem confused by what was going on," Aurora added.
"I see," Emmy said, "They make a show of it while the fakes are being made and then simply 'recover' once they're ready. That's brilliant…although very sinister."
Edgar, however, sighed in frustration, "I mean, I guess that could work once. Maybe twice. But five times? That's way too many incidents for somebody in the upper ranks to ignore. They had to be stupid or…" his eyes widened in realisation, "…oh, I see now."
"Indeed," Layton gravely said, "There's a mole in the upper ranks of Scotland Yard who is covering everything up."
The suggestion was slow to sink in for everybody. It's one thing to have one bent copper, but a superior officer is completely different kettle of fish. But, as they say, that corruption is like a leaky roof; it starts from the top and works its way down. It won't be easy find out who the culprit is and even harder to pin them down. If they have held out for this long then they must be an expert in keeping themselves hidden in plain site.
"Surely not!?" Clark uttered in disbelief, "To think they could have infiltrated our institution to that extent…Targent's power must be great indeed."
A cough alerted them to the officer at the doorway, making them turn their attention to him.
"You all right, Doctor Triton? Have you discovered anything amiss?" he asked him.
Clark straightened himself up and offered him a confident smile, "No, no. All is well, Constable. Thank you. If you don't mind, I would like to continue my analysis of these artefacts a little longer."
"Of course, Doctor," the officer said with a firm nod.
Clark sighed and turned back to them with a concerned frown to which Edgar picked up on.
"You don't need to worry," he whispered to him, "I doubt that they're any part of this. In fact, I'm sure the pat they just want to do their job and find out what's happening."
"I know," Clark hummed, "But you can't be too careful."
Layton crossed his arms in front of him and furrowed his brows, "I believe I have a lead that we can follow. I think our best course of action is to discover who is leading the investigations into the robberies. Let's return to Scotland Yard."
"What again?" Edgar sighed, "But we just come from there. And the bus fairs are getting expensive."
"You're more than welcome to walk," Emmy told him.
"…Good point."
Scotland Yard
Another bus ride back across London and now they were inside the foyer of the police station once again. It was still busy as ever as soon as they stepped inside, but they did notice one significant difference. Grosky was in the middle of pinning down, who they assume to be, a criminal on the floor, preventing him from escaping by holding his arms behind his back. With one final pull, he lifted the criminal to his feet, handcuffed him and beckoned for the closest officer to him.
"Take this fiend to his cell," he ordered as he pushed the criminal into the poor officer's arms, "That'll teach him to try and escape! Hah!"
Snap! Snap! Snap!
"Wow! My amazing Grosky did it again!" Hannah cried out as she stood off to the side, taking photo after photo of him with a love sick expression on her face, "I can't believe I saw it happen right before my eyes!" she sighed, twirling around on one foot, attracting strange stares from those around her.
"Doesn't she have a job to get to?" Edgar asked while Layton, Emmy and Aurora sweat dropped.
Grosky brushed his hands on his jacket and turned around to head to the door when he spotted them patiently, "Ah! Layton and the…others!"
"Inspector Grosky" Layton politely greeted, "How fortuitous it is to find you here."
"I see. Hoping to introduce someone to the strong arm of the law, are you?"
"…Err…well, not particularly. We would like to discuss something with you."
"14:25 pm. Grosky engages in conversation with Professor," Hannah muttered to herself as she jotted it down in a notebook, continuing to note down all his movement.
"Just go away!" Edgar and Emmy shouted at her.
Layton cleared his throat, "I was wondering if you know who was in charge of investigating the thefts at the museum?"
"Museum thefts?" Grosky questioned, "I believe that was Bloom."
Edgar and Layton shared a knowing look.
"I presume Detective Bloom was also the one who returned the recovered artefacts to the museum," Layton continued.
"Naturally," the inspector barked, "He's a real archaeology buff, so he took a personal interest in the case, he was really chuffed to get the things back. He knew what they were right away. Didn't even need to get any tests done."
Edgar gave the professor a look, "Well, isn't that all convenient. All wrapped up with a nice little ribbon."
"Let me just confirm just one more thing," Layton told him, "One last question, inspector. Did anybody else but Bloom handle the artefacts at any time since their recovery."
"Hah!" Grosky laughed, "You think Bloom would trust these clumsy oafs with such fragile objects?" he questioned as he pointed over his shoulder at a passing police officer, who looked rather hurt by the comment, "Nobody else got near him. Now, Layton. Spit it out. Do you know something about the museum thefts?"
"I do, inspector, and I have to thank you," Layton told him, "You've just helped us identify the perpetrator."
"Of course I have!" Grosky boasted proudly before he frowned in confusion, "W-wait? I have?"
Bloom's Office
Bloom was, once again, at his desk as they entered his neat office; looking over more paperwork that was nicely stacked in piles in front of him. He looked up at them and raised a single eyebrow as he noticed that Grosky was now among them before he offered them a simple, polite smile.
"Hello again. Back so soon," Bloom greeted, "How may I help?"
Layton stepped forwards, "Detective Bloom, are you familiar with an organisation named Targent?"
Bloom hesitated slightly, "I know of it. Go on, please,"
"I have reason to believe that Targent are the ones responsible for the recent thefts at the museum."
"Oho. Very impressive, Layton!" Bloom said, "If you have deduced that much, I suppose there is no reason to be coy. As a matter of fact, I also suspect Targent in this case. But as yet, I've had no success in finding where their agent fled to. They're a slippery lot."
Layton was about to say something when Edgar whispered to him, "Prof, it's better to skip the big reveal this time," he said, "Bloom is smart as a fox who just invented chicken wire cutters. I can only assume that we know and is currently coming up with excuses."
"Perhaps you're right," Layton hummed before he glared at Bloom, "Detective Bloom...I have reason to believe that you are the culprit behind the museum thefts."
"What's this, Layton!?" Grosky barked in astonishment, "Have you lost your mind!?" he demanded, "Detective Bloom has been working for the Scotland Yard for almost three years now. It's preposterous to think you can accuse a senior office like that!"
Bloom merely smirked wickedly at him. It was as if he enjoyed being accused. Like he found it humorous.
Layton calmly turned to Grosky, "Inspector, I assure you, I wouldn't make an accusation without solid proof."
The detective hummed gently and leaned back in his chair in a relaxed manner, "...Hmm. This should be interesting. Please Inspector. Allow Professor Layton to continue."
Grosky looked as if he wanted to complain, but decided to follow his orders and step back. Layton cleared his throat and stepped forwards towards the desk.
"Very well. Detective Bloom, I understand that you were in charge of the museum theft case."
"That is correct."
"And to increase museum security, you restricted information concerning guard shift patterns to just a few police officers. One of whom was yourself, of course."
"Yes, obviously. I was the one who gave out all the guard instructions. Evidently, my measures were not enough, and the thief was able to steal more items. Poor judgement on my part, I'll admit."
"It's rather convenient, isn't it," Edgar piped up, "How you were able to recover every single stolen artefact every single time. It's hard to believe, isn't it?"
Bloom gave him a sharp look, "Naturally, I was shamed by my failure to protect the items. After that, I poured every single resource into finding them. It is my job, after all."
"And may I ask what you did with the artefacts after they were found?" Layton questioned, "Before you returned them to the museum."
"I kept them here in my personal safe until they could be returned. What of it?"
"And not in the nice evidence locker that the police have for things like this?" Edgar asked, "What's the point in that? The thief can't have wanted them that much if they managed to lose them every single time. What makes these things special."
"They are not merely things," Bloom calmly said, "These are important historical relics of the Azran. They're protection is paramount."
"You say that... but you're the one that allowed them to be stolen five times," Emmy pointed out.
"I didn't allow them to be stolen. I did everything in my power to protect them."
Layton crossed his arms over his chest, "Which is precisely why I have come to the conclusion that you are in fact the thief. Nobody else would have been able to replace the real artefacts with fake ones."
Bloom raised his eyebrows at that. A coy smile appearing on his lips.
"And that is your proof that I am a criminal?" he asked, "I was worried there for a moment. That reasoning will never hold up to any kind of examination," he waved his hand dismissively, "Just because I was the one in charge of guarding those objects, doesn't mean that they were in my sight the whole time. In fact, there would have been plenty of opportunities for other officers to make the switch."
Edgar smirked and chuckled slightly, "And how did you know that the artefacts were replaced with fakes?"
The Detective hesitated slightly as he turned his sharp eyes to him, "I'm sorry?" he asked, "Of course, I know. He just said they were."
"I believe that what Edgar is trying to say is that the discovery that the items were fake was only established an hour ago," Layton told him, "He, Emmy, Aurora and Clark Triton, an expert in archaeological finds, can bear witness. None of the police present at the museum knew that they were fake and it was not noted down in any of the police records. So, how did you discover it, Detective Bloom?"
"What are you talking about, Layton?" Bloom muttered, a hint of venom in his tone, "You said it yourself just now! You accused me on the basis that only I had the chance to replace the artefacts with fake ones."
"You don't seem to be too shocked about this," Emmy said, "You were put in charge of this case and we just revealed something that blew it out of the water. Are you not going to question it any further."
"Especially since these important historical relics of the Azran are so valuable to you and their care was paramount," Edgar added, "I thought you would have at least raised an eyebrow at it."
Bloom fell very silent. The smirk that he wore dropped in a split second.
"But you were not surprised," Layton said, "Because you knew perfectly well that the artefacts were fake. Because you orchestrated the swap in the first place. Do you deny it?"
The detective glared at them furiously. His eye twitching in annoyance at being tricked so easily. He looked from Layton, to an intrigued Grosky before setting his sights on Edgar; after a few seconds of silent contemplation, a smirk once appeared on his face.
"Inspector Grosky," he calmly said, "Before you make any arrest...may I give my own accusation that would prove essential to this case?"
Grosky frowned at that, "What do you talking about?"
Bloom's smirk widened and his eyes narrowed wickedly, "I believe I have just discovered the culprit. Someone who knows about this case just as much as anyone here. Someone who has been at the scene of the crime and had access to the police archives. Someone...who has had a history of thieving and swindling items of historic objects," he stood up and pointed an accusatory finger towards one particular person, "Edgar Cipher...you are under the arrest for the robbery of artefacts and the falsification of essential evidence."
They all stepped back in shock, but nobody was more shocked than Edgar. He flinched as all eyes turned to him before he gritted his teeth and glared back at the detective.
"You what!?" he shouted, "I've got nothing to do with this!"
"That's right," Emmy said, coming to his support, "This is ridiculous! He's only using him as a scapegoat!"
"Am I? Or is it a possibility?" Bloom hummed sinisterly before he turned to Grosky, "Inspector, you have known Edgar for the longest haven't you?"
Grosky blinked blankly at his questioned before he cleared his throat, "I-In a way. I have been tracking his criminal activity for a good number of years. However-"
"Among his many, many crimes, has Edgar be known to rob museum for their artefacts," he interrupted.
The inspector took a few seconds to respond before he nodded, "Yes, he has."
"And has he been known to create forgeries of items?"
"Yes, he has."
"And has he ever broken into Scotland Yard before?"
"Yes…yes has."
"And, finally, in your personal opinion, do you think he's capable of performing such an electorate crime?"
"Well…" Grosky hesitated slightly, "…I would have to yes. He is quite capable of doing this."
"Very good," Bloom said before he leaned back in his chair, "since we've been throwing around theories and accusations…allow me to provide one of my own. Edgar Cipher, well known criminal and expert thief, was caught by the police but has been released due to him being underage. He's frustrated at first. So many precious items ready to be stolen, but he can't break the law once otherwise he'll be thrown away in a cell," he clicked his fingers, "Ah! But that's when he realised he can use this to his advantage. Using a renowned, law abiding citizen like Professor Hershel as a perfect cover, he took his time to steal every single priceless artefact and makes a perfect fraud. Once I discover the real artefact and keep it safe, he breaks into my office, using his previous knowledge of the buildings layout, and replaces the artefact with the fraudulent one which is then sent back to the museum. However, not too long ago, Layton looks into the same series of crimes and knew that he was caught. Unless…he joins in on the investigation, access the crime reports to his advantage and uses me as a scapegoat. The only other person who has had access to the artefacts the entire time. An almost perfect crime."
Edgar snarled in anger at the story he had just spun. Rage boiled within him; he gritted his teeth together, cracked his knuckles and shot a deadly glare at the smug detective. He hadn't been this angry in ages; not only because he put the blame on him, but because he had the audacity to think that just, because he used to commit crimes, he was done it for malicious reasons.
He marched forwards towards him, "You-"
"Preposterous!"
He stopped as soon as Layton stepped in front of him and shouted at Bloom. The professor's eyes narrowed as they glared at the very calm Bloom.
"How dare you make such an accusation against my assistant! He has done nothing wrong! I won't stand for this!"
Bloom sighed, "And how dare you make the same accusation against me; a senior officer of Scotland Yard. I will forgive you now, Professor. It's clear you have been manipulated by this criminal you decided to take in."
"It's impossible!" Emmy cried in anger, "He would never do this! He was the one who helped uncover this crime!"
"And what a good show he has conjured up."
"You have no evidence!"
"I have as much evidence as you crudely brought against me," Bloom drawled, "However, if brought before a judge and jury, they are much more likely to believe a senior officer who has been working on the museum robbery case for months now…over a ruffian with a history of lying and thievery," he slowly said, making Edgar flinch in fury, "But let's get a second opinion, shall we? Inspector Grosky, haven't you been wanting to arrest the boy ever since he was released."
"Yes, but-"
"Well, this is a good opportunity for you," he sharply interrupted, "Go and do the right thing and uphold the law and the good name of Scotland Yard."
Sweat began to appear on Grosky's brow as his eyes flicked from Bloom to Edgar in nervousness. He wasn't quite what to do with himself. This wasn't like the usual 'capture criminals and throw them into cells' sort of situation. He should trust Bloom; he's his superior officer after all. But if he arrested Edgar then that was it; he was locked away for life. He looked towards Layton and Emmy and saw them pleading at him with their eyes, but at the same time felt Bloom's piercing glare at the back of his head. He gulped and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"W-well…"
"Please don't do this. Edgar has done no wrong."
Everybody in the room jumped in surprise and turned to the only person in the room who had been silent ever since they entered. Aurora wore a frown on her face which seemed strange for somebody so quiet and gentle. Confidently, she stepped forwards in front of Edgar and stood against Bloom.
"For the past few days, Edgar has looked after me and taught me everything I would need. I was confused and uncertain about many things around me…but he took the time to help me. Although I'm alone, I never felt lonely for a second since I came to London and I have seen and experienced so many great things," she said to the room, "I may not know everything about Edgar…but I know enough to know that he is a good person. A kind person. Who was always be my side when I needed assistance. He can be mischievous at times, but he's not malicious in any way. I know he is good and caring in his actions and wants the best for everybody. That's why it's not fair to accuse him of such a crime when he doesn't deserve it. I beg of you Inspector, please don't arrest him. I thought the police was meant to protect against those who truly do wrong and not to persecute those who are innocent."
'Aurora,' Edgar thought in awe as the shorter girl stood to his defence, 'I can't believe you think of me like that?'
Grosky blinked in astonishment down at Aurora before he glanced up at Edgar with an unreadable expression. He deliberated on his decision for what felt like ages before he finally closed his eyes and gave a weary sigh.
"I see," Grosky said before he opened his eyes and turned towards Bloom, "Leonard Bloom. I am arresting you on suspicion of theft, forgery and corruption," he declared, "Please come with me and I will escort you to the cells."
Edgar's jaw dropped in bewilderment, Emmy gaped in disbelief and Layton sighed in relief. For a few seconds there, they honestly thought that he was going to arrest the wrong person. The only person who didn't seem to be happy was Bloom whose eye twitched in fury and the smug smirk dropping from his face.
Edgar turned to Grosky in confusion, "W-what!? No way! You've being wanting a chance to arrest me since I stepped out of the courtroom."
"I still do, criminal," Grosky sharply told him, "But the young lady is right. The police are supposed to protect the innocent and not to prosecute them. It'll be more satisfying to arrest you for a crime you actually did commit," he grumbled before he glanced at him, "Besides…if what the young lady says is true…then I suppose you can't be all that bad."
He blinked in surprise at his words and felt a small smile appear on his lips. He looked down at the serene Aurora and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Aurora," he whispered.
"It's my pleasure," she said with a bright smile.
Suddenly, the sound of pencil scribbling on paper caught their attention and made them turn to the corner of the room.
"Grosky decides to not accuse his greatest enemy," Hannah murmured excitedly, jotting down her notes in her notebook as she stood in the corner of the office, "How thrilling. This is definitely going to go in the newsletter."
"WHEN DID YOU GET IN HERE!?" Emmy and Edgar shouted at her.
Aerodrome
"…beggars can't be chooses, Raymond. You asked for one and you've got one right here in front of you."
"Yes, but the master was hoping for more….creativity in its style. After all, the Bostonius is a special airship."
"What's wrong with it?" Edgar questioned as he gestured to the kitchen sink sat on the floor in front of them, "It does its job…sort of."
"But why does it appear to been hastily ripped out of somebody's home recently."
"…I tend to not ask questions to my suppliers."
The case had been swiftly solved and Bloom was arrested as well as any other conspirators working for Targent. He was silent throughout the process; not once showing a hint of emotion on his face and made sure that his dignity was intact as he was led away in cuffs. His colleagues were surprised, of course, and they gawked in disbelief as sent to one of the cells. Edgar had to wonder how long he had been working at Scotland Yard; working behind the scenes, rewriting crime reports, sweeping Targent crimes under the rug. It was lucky that they heard about it at all. Who knows how long Bloom would have continued to manipulate Scotland Yard from the shadows.
However, that was in the past now. They had bigger things to concern with.
After leaving Scotland Yard and picking up a few things, they finally made it the aerodrome where Sycamore and Raymond were waiting for them at the Bostonius. Emmy was helping Aurora settle in while the professors discussed flight plans upon the airship. Raymond gave a tired sigh, picked up the sink before he turned and carried it up the gangplank into the Bostonius, groaning and struggling to keep his footing all the way up.
"Make sure to keep your back straight," Edgar called out after him with a grin.
"Pardon me, young man."
Edgar turned around when he heard a kind voice from behind him and saw two elderly people walking towards them. The one that spoke out to him was a short woman with grey hair, a pointed nose and big round eyes; her back was hunched slightly and there were wrinkles around her eyes and face. She wore a soft pink blouse and a greyish green shirt as well as a red apron around her waist; she also wore he hair up into a bun. The other was a taller, portly man with a big, grey beard and hair as well as eyebrows so thick that you can hardly see his eyes. He wore a pair of brown trousers held up by suspenders and a green flannel shirt tucked into the waistline of his trousers. He gave them a curious look; they didn't seem the sort to be handing around the aerodrome.
"How can I help you?" he asked politely.
"We're just looking for our son," the woman asked with a gentle smile, "He should be around here somewhere. Do you know Hershel?"
"Hershel?" Edgar muttered in confusion before his eyes widened in realisation, "Oh, Hershel Layton. You must be Roland and Lucille."
"Ah! You've heard of us," the man said with a small chuckle, "I guess Hershel has already told you about us."
"Yes," he said before a mischievous grin appeared on his face, "Why wouldn't I know about my own grandparents' names?"
…
…
…
"EH!" the elderly couple cried in shock, "you mean!?"
"Why yes," he said, holding out his hand for them to shake, "Pleasure to meet you, my name's Edgar Layton."
The elderly couples' jaws dropped in astonishment; they were completely taken off guard by this.
"You're our Hershel's son?" Roland gawked, "He never mentioned you before."
Edgar gave an exaggerated shrug, "Well, you know my old man, he can be forgetful at times."
"Is he really that forgetful!?"
"But you must be at least fourteen or fifteen," Lucille uttered.
"I'm almost sixteen actually."
"But…but…" she gasped and reached for her purse, "That means we haven't given you any presents for almost sixteen years! One hundreds pounds a year would be one thousand six hundreds pounds! Let's see how much I've got!"
'Wow! I'm starting to like having grandparents,' he thought deviously…
…before he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder, making him flinch.
He gulped and looked around to see Layton standing next to him. He was giving him a calm smile but seemed to emit a warning aura towards him, making him smile nervously.
"Oh Prof," he said before he gestured to Lucille and Roland, "I was just about to tell you that your parents are here."
"I see that," he calmly said before he looked up at them, "Hello Ma, Pa. What a surprise to see you."
"Oh Hershel," Lucille gushed as she trotted over to him and gave him a hug, "It's so wonderful to see you. Look how tall you've gotten."
"Hello son. How's it been," Roland greeted with a massive grin on his face, "Why haven't you told us about Edger here."
"This here is actually my apprentice and assistant Edgar Cipher," he explained as he glanced at Edgar before he chuckled slightly, "I fear that he was only pulling a prank on you two. My assistant likes to do those sort of things."
"Sorry~" Edgar sang innocently.
"Oh I see. How funny. You really did get us. How delightful," Lucille told him before she rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a wrapped sweet, "Here you go, young man.
Edgar happily took it and popped it in his mouth, "Thanks Ms Layton."
"Oh please, call me grandma," she insisted.
"And you can call me grandpa Roland," Roland chipped in.
"Thanks grandma and grandpa Roland," Edgar chirped happily as he was pampered by the elderly couple.
Layton watched on from afar with a sweat drop, feeling not quite sure how this happened.
"Anyway, what are you two doing here? It's not as if I'm not happy to see you, I'm just rather puzzled."
Lucille smiled happily, "We came to see you away. You're always going off on your adventures and we never get to say goodbye," she reached into her handbag and began to take items out of it and pile them in his arms, "I have your lunch, a few treats for the journey, spare socks in case the ones you're wearing get soaked, a woolly jumper, sunscreen, a thermos full of your favourite tea, spare envelops so you can send us letters-"
"Did she steal that bag from Mary Poppins?" Edgar uttered in astonishment as he watched her pile more and more items into Layton's arms.
It wasn't until the pile was taller than his own hat that Layton decided that he should stop her. He placed the items down on the ground nearby and smiled earnestly down at her.
"Ma, thank you. This is all…great. But how did you know I was going to be here?"
Roland chuckled at his question, "Well, we wouldn't have known if it wasn't for your friend…err…what was it again? Elm? Pine?"
"Sycamore, dear," Lucille corrected, "He was kind enough to tell us about your journey."
"Sycamore?" Edgar and Layton said in confusion as they glanced up at the Bostonius.
Edgar frowned slightly, 'How does he know about the Profs parent's? We only just him in person a few days ago.'
"Well, then," Layton said, "We're almost ready to leave. Thank you so much for coming out all this way to see you me."
"It was nothing, son. Anyway, enjoy your trip. And do give your old parents some news while you're away."
"Yes and send us a postcard now and then," Lucille sweetly said, "And it's wonderful to see you too, Edgar. Why don't you and Hershel come by and visit some time."
"I will. Thanks grandma. Thanks grandpa Roland," he happily chirped.
"Oh, aren't you a dear. Here have some more sweets," Lucille said before he began to pull handfuls of wrapped sweets out of her bag and into his hands.
After seeing off the elderly couple, Layton and Edgar began to head up the steps with their added gifts in their arms.
"They seem nice," Edgar said, "I don't think you mentioned them a lot before other than at the hotel in Monte D'Or."
Layton chuckled, "Yes. It's not as if I don't want to, but I'm always-"
"Too busy with work?"
"Unfortunately yes," he said with a sigh.
Edgar nodded in understanding before he decided to say what was on his mind, "I've got to admit. They don't exactly look like you. I mean, I'm no genetics expert, but I would have thought that you would have some family resemblance."
Layton gave a light chuckle, "That's because they're not my biological parents."
Edgar almost tripped up a step in surprise and looked down at the professor in astonishment, "Wait, you mean-"
"They adopted me when I was very young," he answered his questioning look, "I can't remember much about it. But, nevertheless, I am and will always be their son. Even if were not related by blood."
"Huh? I didn't know that. To be honest...I never really thought much about it. Or even Emmy's parents," he murmured guiltily, "Sorry about that."
"You needn't worry, Edgar. I'm not offended in anyway."
The teen hummed before he began to ascend the stairs again, "Must be nice. Being adopted, I mean. Nobody ever picked me or Agatha, because we refused to be separated. Not a lot of parents want to have two children to deal with...still, I wonder if I had allowed Agatha to go live with a nice, proper family...things might have turned out different," he wondered, earning a small saddened frown from Layton.
"Have you ever considered what happened to your biological parents?" he asked.
"Same as you, I'm afraid," he said with a shrug, "I was too young to remember. I don't even know what they looked like. I always told Agatha that they passed away after she was born, but they probably wanted nothing to do with us and left us. I was apparently found on the streets of south London in the middle of heavy rain aged four years old with Agatha wrapped up in blankets in my arms. And well...you know the rest."
"Have you ever considered finding them?"
"Ha!" Edgar laughed, making him jump in surprise, "Like I care about them! They can go to hell for all I care," he told him as reached the final step, "I don't need to know, because I've got all the family I will ever need right now..."
...
...
...
...
He whipped his head back towards him, his cheeks red in embarrassment, "I mean me! I'm the only one I need! Nobody else!"
"Of course," Layton said with a coy smile as he brushed passed him and entered the Bostonius, "What ever you say, Edgar."
"I mean it, Layton!" he shouted after him.
"Oh, I know."
"Wipe that smirk of your face! I just misspoke!" he shouted as ran into the Bostonius after him.
And with that, they have left London and began their journey across the world in search of the hidden relics of the Azran. Will they succeed or will Targent's looming presence overwhelm them?
We will see when they reached their first destination...Hoogland.
Phew!
Managed to finally update this one. Sorry it took so long.
Anyway, the Bostonius in now taking off across the world in search for Azran sites with the first stop being Hoogland...or the place they sacrifice women. Kind of a strange turn, but okay.
Also there's a poll on my profile so check it out!
Thanks for reading :)
Omake - Daily Lives Of Victor Soul's OCs
Living Room
In Victor Soul's house, Edgar was sat on one of the armchairs in the living room whilst completing a sudoku in today's newspaper. He was almost done when Lewis Fleetwood (from the Disappearing Hero) walked in and gave him a friendly wave.
"Hey, Edgar. Heard you and Victor watched the new trailer for the next Professor Layton game. How was it?"
Edgar chuckled and put down the newspaper, "We both think it's great. The mechanics look cool, the puzzles remind me of the first games and the artwork is such an improvement from the last game," he sighed, "Sorry Katrielle. You're cute and all, but it just wasn't meant to be."
"So, if it's so great then why is Victor like…well, like that?"
They both turned to see Edgar lying under another armchair in a feral position, tears streaming from his eyes as he rocked back and forth.
"Oh yeah, the game is apparently going to come out in 2025," Edgar said.
"Let me guess, he doesn't want to wait that long?"
"No, I think he just realised that 2025 is actually going to be a thing that's going to happen and it's no longer the 2010s. He's just having an existential crisis over it," he explained.
"2025…" Victor stuttered in panic, "That's not a thing! It can't be a thing! That's in the future!"
"That's how time works, Vic," Edgar sighed, "Just accept it."
"No! I'm going to be so old! If 'Back To The Future' happened today then Marty Mcfly would go back to 1993! That's so messed up!"
Edgar rolled his eyes, "Give Pomni here a few weeks and he'll be back to normal."
"But what about Michael's story? It needs updating," Lewis said.
"I WANT TIME TO STOP!" Victor wailed.
"…Alright, see if we can tempt him with cake and then we'll lock him in his writing room. That usually does the trick"