Professor Layton Hit the road, Chapter 3
« We still have some time before the sun sets. » Luke said as he looked outside the window.
« Would you mind giving us a quick tour of North Ely, Luke? » Layton asked.
Luke eyes widened in shock. « You want to go sightseeing? Now!? »
« What's so bad about it? I wanna see this town better too damn it! Find locations to make fun of, look out for molemen, and most importantly find a damn place where this fog won't persecute us all the way to hell! » Max exclaimed, at the latter part with a frown.
« Actually, I was referring to the fact that we need a better layout of the land, to better predict the spectre movements. » Layton explained.
Luke calmed down a bit, realizing the logic behind Layton plan. « Oh, of course. Well then, we should go before it gets dark. »
« Scouting is a key step in a proper investigation! How exciting! » Emmy exclaimed.
Luke frowned at the girl angrily. « This is not exciting! The spectre is very dangerous business. »
« Speak for yourself kid, this is the most excited I've ever been since that time we stopped that alien gorilla for destroying our city! » Max grinned.
« Do not worry kid, we're taking this investigation as seriously as any of our nefarious cases of ultra-dimensional destruction! » Sam proclaimed.
« So we're not taking it seriously, right? » Max asked.
« You got a fair point, little buddy. » Sam responded.
« You think this is some sort of joke, don't you? » Luke asked angrily with a small tear forming in his eyes.
« Luke… » Emmy said with an apologetic look, before Luke looked at her, his face far less angry.
« Oh, I'm not talking about you. I'm sure you're taking this seriously. I'm talking about these two. » the boy said, glaring at Sam and Max.
Emmy joined the glare. « Yeah, I get it kiddo. »
« Well that's just not nice kid. » Sam said with a frown.
« Just as a reminder Sam, who exactly got us involved in this wacky case in the first place? » Max then asked, clearly pointing at Luke.
Emmy suddenly turned to the duo with an angry face. « First. Luke wrote the letter because there is an actual threat attacking this town and there seems to be no solution. Second. He didn't "get you involved in this wacky case in the first place", your "commissioner" did. »
« I know, I just want to throw all the blame at the kid for fun and see how he reacts. » Max returned to his old self.
« Now now, » Layton intervened in the argument, « let's keep in mind how important it is to have a clear head during an investigation, lest we miss a clue. Keep calm and carry on, even under duress. It is the way of the English gentleman…and lady».
« The way of the English gentleman… » Luke said in awe.
« And lady. Now let's get going. » Layton continued with a smile.
« The way of the American gentleman, on the other way, is to carry a big stick and a semi-automatic gun. » Max grinned.
« True words little buddy. » Sam then said.
« Only you could take such wistful words and turn them into something ridiculous. » Emmy deadpanned.
« Truly, the American way. » Sam proudly said.
Xxxxxxx
As the group exited the hotel, Luke turned to Layton. « Mr. Layton, what exactly are we looking for here, anyway? »
« We need a clear understanding of our surrounding. Let's survey the neighbourhood. » Layton explained.
« And much to your surprise, we also know what to look for. » Sam then said.
« I say. You do? What would it be? » Layton asked politely.
« My little buddy even said it while the kid asked if we wanted to go sightseeing. » Sam explained.
«So…. finding various locations in the town? » Layton asked.
« Not really, but if we want to buy Brock house we also need to know the best tourist attractions in town. So we might do that. » Sam responded.
« Escaping the fog? » Luke asked with a teasing and mischievous grin in his face, turning to Max.
« You continue to make fun of my hate for this fog, and I'll rip off your neck, remove your bones and turn you into a suit. Also no. » the rabbit threatened the boy.
Emmy then scoffed. « What? We go and look for molemen? »
« Bingo! » Sam and Max exclaimed in union.
Emmy glared at the two. « You know what? Luke, you were right. These two REALLY aren't taking this seriously. »
« No seriously! The molemen could have something to with the spectre! » Sam justified himself.
« Assuming you're not trying to mock us, how exactly are they related to the spectre? » Emmy asked, after a sigh.
« Because if our theory is correct, the spectre of Misthallery might be an Elder God. » Sam explained.
« An Elder God you say? » Layton asked, a bit sceptical.
« Powerful beings that existed before the universe was even born! Worshipped by humanity for centuries! » Sam exclaimed.
« We even met two in our grand adventures: Yog-Soggoth, which look would make many go insane, except for us, and his nephew, Junior! » Max said dramatically.
Emmy raised an eyebrow. « Really? Junior? »
« His actual name is unpronounceable in human language, but he was so powerful that his birthing wails resounded across the galaxy and shattered the proto-continent of Pangea! » Sam exclaimed.
« Wait…wasn't it tectonical plates? » Luke asked.
« Nope. It was Junior. He was so powerful and restless that his grandfather created the Devil Toybox and the Toys of Power, toys powerful enough to conquer worlds and destroy all enemies. » Sam continued.
« And…what would be the connection between the molemen and the Elder Gods? » Layton asked.
« The molemen were enemies of these beings for millennia. Our great-great fathers, Sameth and Maximus even worked alongside one of these molemen, capable of bringing curses! » Sam explained.
« She was technically a chick, but we call her a molemen none the less. » Max commented.
« I see. Perhaps they could help us understand the nature of the spectre and the reasoning behind his attacks. » Layton reasoned.
« Very well. Let's start on Murray Street and go to Pike Lane from there. »
« What are we waiting for? » Max asked inpatient.
Xxxxxxx
Café Entrance Interactions:
« A small pool with coins at the bottom. » Sam commented at the sight of the small pool.
« Oh, I'm SURE people are getting richer every minute dropping coins in this pool. Especially the owner! »
« Evil machinations know no bound. » Sam said.
Xxxxxxx
Pike Line Interactions:
As the group walked down the street, they found themselves in front of an old lady. « I've just had about enough with all this nonsense! Do you know how busy I am? Now they want me to just up and leave because of some giant inspector?! This makes me so angry! » she shouted at our heroes.
« You do realize this area might get under attack by an Elder God? » Sam asked.
« Pah! What even is an Elder God!? I know only one God. » the woman said, before angrily storming off.
« Well at least we know it's not a moleman. » Sam commented.
Xxxxxxx
Parlor interactions:
Looking for more clues about the molemen, Sam and Max decided to inspect the Triton residence alone, where they found Doland.
« Luke appears to be a bit lonely since her mother has gone traveling. » Doland explained.
« Doesn't help that he enjoys rotting away in his room. » Sam noted.
« Usually Master Luke enjoys puzzles, but these days, he seems very distant. » Doland replied.
« Not enough to give us a migraine with his antics, anyway. » Max replied.
Xxxxxxx
Walking down the apparently massive streets of Misthallery, our group found themselves in front of a worried young lady. She was carrying two large suitcases. « Uh excuse me? I left in a rush when I heard about the spectre, but I'm worried about Joseph. Have you seen him? » she asked.
« I'm sorry, and you are? » Layton asked politely.
« Oh, I'm Bobbi. I work at the hotel on Great Ely Street. I left as quickly as I could when I heard the news, but I never saw Joseph leave! Last I saw him, he was muttering something about next year being a better tourist season. I'm scared that the hotel might be destroyed with him inside! » the woman, Bobbi, said worried.
« As it currently stands, he's about to become a nice little decoration for Great Ely Street. Heard blood looks great on roads! » Max joked.
« Don't worry ma'am. I don't think your boss is in danger as long as he is a sane individual and decides to exit the hotel. » Sam comforted the lady.
« And what if it was Joseph? » she asked.
« Well you maybe wanna get a new job. » Sam admitted.
« None the less, we saw him earlier. I think he'll be fine. » Layton then said.
« I can't help but worry, though. I should have dragged him out of the hotel instead of my precious dolls. » Bobbi admitted.
However, Sam noticed a small arm sticking out of one of the suitcases. « Uh excuse me ma'am…I think one of your dolls is sticking out of the suitcase. » Sam commented.
« And it also looks surprisingly familiar. » Max noted.
« Oh bother! I haven't put them in place very we-EEEECCCCCKKKKK! » Bobbi opened the suitcase to place the doll inside, only to let out a terrified scream, causing one of the "dolls" to come out of the suitcase.
The "doll" was a creepy looking puppet. « HOLY HP LOVECRAFT SPINNING THROUGH THE 13 ABYSSAL FLAMES ON A PROPANE GRILL! It's Charlie Ho-Tep! » Sam exclaimed as he and Max aimed his gun at the puppet.
« It's so creepy! » Luke said as he hid behind Layton and Emmy.
« Who are you calling "creepy", you doll house reject!? » the puppet, Charlie Ho-Tep said angrily at Luke.
« It-it talks!? » Emmy exclaimed shocked.
« Well, well, well, Charlie. We meet again. » Sam said, as he and Max continued to keep their guns at the puppet.
« Indeed. It is I, CHARLIE HO-TEP! AND…. who are you guys exactly? » Charlie said with a creepy, but confused voice.
« Really? You don't remember the guys who kicked your toy ass? Sam and Max? Freelance police? Stopped you from summoning Junior? » Max asked.
« Nope. Doesn't ring any bell. » the puppet admitted.
« Well anyway, your torment of this city is over! » Sam declared.
«Wait. You think this guy is involved with the spectre? » Emmy asked the duo.
« It seems that this fiend has mind controlled the spectre to do his unspeakable bidding and bring back Junior. » Sam deduced.
« Bring back Junior!? HA! That brat deserves to rot in the Dark Dimension for eternity. I just wanted to be his toy, but OH NO! Charlie is just too creepy apparently for our poor little Elder God. » Charlie said with a mixture of anger, mockery and sadness, crying a bit at the end.
« Well you seem to play your act too well for lying. » Sam commented.
« Please tell me more of your…acquaintance with this Charlie Ho-Tep. » Layton said.
« Charlie had used Momma Bosco cloning device to clone an army of me and used it to collect the toys of power to bring back Junior. We managed to stop him by destroying the Devil Toybox luckily. » Sam explained.
« What!? No mortal can destroy the Toybox! And why would I make an army of you?! Is there any meat behind those fat rolls!? » Charlie exclaimed.
« Now we definitely know the guy is not our guy. » Max commented.
« First. Well that's just not nice. Second. My little buddy here apparently has psychic powers! » Sam explained.
Charlie was surprised by Sam answer. « Wait…the rabbit…has the gift!? Wait…of course! He's a spitting image of Sammun-Mak! » Charlie then said.
« So if you guys said that you destroyed the Toybox…how come this…living puppet doesn't remember it? Heck, how is it even…alive? » Emmy asked.
« Perhaps he comes from an alternate dimension. Technically speaking my little buddy here is not my original little buddy. » Sam responded.
« Yeah apparently after destroying the Toybox I became some sort of monster rampaging down the streets and had to be destroyed. » Max commented.
Emmy simply raised an eyebrow. « And we're supposed to believe you guys. »
« You were talking to a talking puppet a few seconds ago! It doesn't get crazier than that. » Max said.
« So it is safe to assume that Charlie here is not responsible for the spectre attacks. » Layton reasoned.
« What spectre!? I was simply tossed in a garbage bin by my newest owner when I suddenly saw those pretty ladies in the suitcase! » Charlie justified himself, before turning to the open suitcase. « Hey girls! Wanna have some action with a demonic paranormal puppet from the dark dimension? Why don't you let me explore your dark dimension? »
« S-stay away from my dolls you creep! » Bobbi shouted as she closed the suitcase and ran as fast as she could.
Charlie sighed as she saw the girl run, and then turned to our heroes. « So …. what's this all about a spectre? »
« Well apparently a giant spectre is terrorizing this quite British village. » Sam explained.
« Well since you seem to be knowledgeable regarding Elder Gods…do you by any chance know about the Spectre of Misthallery? » Layton asked.
« The Spectre of Misthallery…. hm…. tell me more about him. » Charlie said.
« The Spectre of Misthallery is our oldest tale. It is said that he protected us from bandits on several occasion. However, if he was to be summoned for impure motifs, he would destroy the world. » Luke explained.
« Nope. Still doesn't ring any bell. What even is a "Misthallery"? » Charlie asked.
« Sure you don't know the guy or this city? Venice wanna be aesthetic? Puzzle lovers? A constant fog that never knows when to stop bothering people? » Max asked.
« The possible location of the Golden Garden? » Layton added.
Charlie, who was still pondering about the situation, widened his eyes at the name. « Wait…you know of the Golden Garden of the ancient Azran civilization!? »
« Only small bits. It is believed that the Golden Garden is located here. » Layton explained.
« What are these Azran you just spoke about? » Sam asked Charlie.
« An ancient civilization older and even more powerful than the molemen themselves! They were a keen element in the defeat of the Elder Gods eons ago! As far as I know. Junior never told me much about them…. being too busy with those stupid toys. » Charlie explained, muttering the last part.
« So they're just "Generic ancient civilization impossibly advanced for its times number 2930." » Max commented.
« Could it be that the spectre is trying to protect the garden? » Layton pondered.
« That would be a pretty weird thing to do for an Elder God. » Sam commented.
« Assuming the bloody thing is even an Elder God. » Emmy noted.
« You know Charlie, I was kinda hoping for you to be your evil self so we could stop this case right here and then. » Sam commented.
« Well…I might not be responsible for the events that are currently folding in this town…. but I could be of assistance! If you had encountered me before, I also assume you know about my mystic powers! » Charlie said.
« Oh yeah! Because ventriloquism can be so useful against giant rampaging ghosts. » Max said.
« Ventriloquism? » Layton asked.
« Oh yeah! Check out what I can do with the creepy bastard! » Max said, as he grabbed Charlie, pointing it to Emmy.
« Hey Luke! You're adopted! » Emmy then suddenly said.
« What!? » Luke asked confused.
« What? I didn't say that! » Emmy protested.
« Ah, I missed using these toys. If only you weren't as creepy as some sort of horror movie museum doll. » Max said with nostalgia.
« Well, I do believe that the rest of the toys of power are hidden within this town, or in the rest of the world. » Charlie then commented.
« Well the Cthonic Destroyer could came in handy right now. » Sam commented.
« What are we waiting for? Let's get more toys! » Max exclaimed.
« Can I come too? » Charlie asked.
« As long as you don't try to backstab us, I say we have a deal. » Sam responded.
The duo begun marching down the streets, with Emmy, Luke and Layton still trying to understand the situation. « Would this count as…" Laytonesque" Emmy? » Layton asked.
« Nope. This is just straight up weird. » Emmy responded.
Xxxxxxx
Walking down the streets, or now six heroes find themselves in front of a purple, skinny cat with a medallion in its neck. « Hey, a kitty! C'mere, kitty! » Luke said, as it tried to get its attention.
« What an interesting looking cat. It has a collar, so it must belong to someone. » Emmy noted.
« Ah, cats. Bring me back in simpler times where I was venerated as a godly tool. » Charlie commented with a nostalgic tone.
« Damn cats. I don't trust these hell spawns one bit. » Sam said irritated.
« Let's get it! » Luke exclaimed, as he ran toward the feline creature. Before any of our heroes could react, Luke darted forward, trying to get the cat who simply run away.
« What the-Luke stop! » Emmy exclaimed, but before long he was gone.
« Bloody-he's being such a child! » Emmy said irritated.
« Oh please. Junior throws way worse tantrums. » Charlie commented.
« Anyway, we have to stop him before he gets lost. » Layton stated.
Max tugged Sam sheeve, and pointed at his gun with a mischievous smile. No words were needed. « Tempting, but I'm getting fond of the little guy. » was Sam response.
Xxxxxxx
Apartment row interactions:
As the adults went looking for Luke, they found a man with an orange shirt with two blue stripes, with a white jacket and blue pants. « Did anyone else see that adorable feline over there? Some wild boy chased it away. Oh, was he with you? »
« Unfortunately. » Max complained.
Xxxxxxx
On the side of a nearby canal, Luke continued to look for the cat. « Phew. That cat is really fast! » Luke exclaimed as he caught a breath. Then, our remaining group arrived.
« Ah, there you are! I thought we were going to lose you! » Emmy scolded the boy.
« Yeah! We were really annoyed for you! » Max exclaimed.
« Don't you mean worried? » Charlie asked.
« The brat can drown in a river for all I care. I wasn't hired for babysitting! » Max complained with a frown.
« Where did that cat run off to… Hey, there it is! » Luke, who had ignored the adult conversation, ran off once more towards the cat.
« Oh come on kid! I've never done so much cardio in my entire life! » Sam complained.
« He's fine. Let's just jog along behind him. It will do us all good. » Layton reassured the dog.
« Not when you got Sam to deal with! » Max said as he resumed the chase.
Xxxxxxx
As Luke continued to chase after the cat, he ended up in a small forest, not knowing that he was watched. « Heeere kitty, kitty, kitty… » Luke called for the cat. He continued to search around, until he found himself in front of a rifle.
The boy felt backward from the surprise, and rose his hands in submit. A man with a cowboy like hat, glasses and short hair growled slightly annoyed at the boy. « You don't look much like a seal, ankle biter. » he said with a strong Australian accent.
« And you don't look so much like a living man if you don't leave the kid alone. » Emmy threatened as she arrived with the rest of the group, with Sam and Max pointing their guns at the man.
« Wait why are we defending the kid again? » Max asked.
« No idea. » was Sam response.
« Easy there sugar. I aim for bigger game. » the man responded. In the meantime, Luke had ran away from the man and hid behind the adults.
« So what are you doing, other than scaring kids who gets lost in a forest? » Emmy asked.
The man growled annoyed at the question. « Brits. »
« Aussie. » Emmy hissed back.
« Poms. »
« Convicts. »
« WANKER! » the duo then shouted in union.
« Such a wonderful language. » Max admired.
« Before we escalate things even further sir…may I ask two things? First, have you seen a cat around these parts? Purple in colour and very skinny? Second, what are you exactly doing with a sniper rifle? » Layton intervened before Emmy and the Australian got into a fight.
« I'm here to hunt some big game. » the Australian responded.
« Big game? Here in Britain? » Layton asked confused.
« You bet. Large seal lives around these parts, bigger than a bloody killer whale! » the man responded.
« Funny. I live here and I've never heard of any seals around here. » Luke commented.
The man begun to chuckle. « I know my sources well. Take a look at this picture. Pretty legit, isn't it? » the man showed a picture of a large, light blue seal.
« I say, it truly does look legit. » Layton commented.
« As for cuter little critter, yeah I've seen a purple cat. Ran all the way towards that direction. » the man said as he pointed toward a small opening in the forest.
« Many thanks, good sir. » Layton said.
However, Sam begun to examinate the man. « Hold on a sec. Holy saltwater crocodile with Christmas stealing intention on a green furry suit! Are you by any chance Mr. Mundy? »
« How do you know my bloody-HOLY DULEY! You are Sam and Max! The Heavy told me all about you guys! » the man, Mundy apparently, said as he shook the duo hand.
« If anyone is curious, Heavy is a guy we have poker night with. » Max said to the rest of the group.
« So what brings you to England, yanks? Here to join on the seal hunt? » Mundy asked.
« As much as we would like to be on the Peta wanted list, we're actually here because of a case. A giant rogue spirit and possibly Elder God is harassing this quiet British fog generator. » Sam responded.
« Bugger. Explain why everyone is running away. So what, did Merasmus lost one of his pet ghosts or something? » Mundy asked.
« Apparently this spectre was some sort of protector who stole jobs from hard working guards and police ancestors that went rogue. So I don't really thing he's a Merasmus kind of guy. » Sam commented.
« Yeah, he wasn't really one to protect people. Tell you what, you clearly need someone with experience in paranormal activities. Mind if I join the group? » Mundy asked.
« Technically speaking we have far more experience with world ending anomalies, but we could really use more guns. Folks, this is Mr. Mundy. » Sam said, as he presented Mundy to the rest of the group.
« Just call me Sniper. Most do. » Mundy, or Sniper, said.
« Well…a pleasure to meet you too. My name is Professor Hershel Layton. This is my assistant Emmy Altava and this is my friend son, Luke Triton. » Layton presented the group.
« Don't forget about me! Charlie Ho-Tep! » Charlie greeted himself.
« Bloody-Isn't that one of those wacky toys of power Heavy said you destroyed? » Sniper asked.
« Nah. Apparently he comes from an alternate timeline. » Sam responded.
« Anyway, why don't we continue to explore the area for our feline friend? » Layton asked.
« So we're just throwing the investigation away for some cat searching? » Sam asked.
« How exciting! » Max then said.
Xxxxxxx
Forest Path Interactions:
As the group walked through the forest, they found Mido enjoying the greenery.
« You, mate! You've seen a purple car 'round here? » Sniper asked.
« I haven't seen nuthin' but green! Such lovely green! It's everywhere! More green than a bear can bear! » Mido replied.
« Uh, you good sir? » Sam asked.
« Ohoho, I'm more than all right! Green there, green there! It's like a verdant train just chugging along! » Mido replied.
« Glad to see that everyone in this town is mentally insane. » Sam noted.
« The best kind! » Max exclaimed.
Xxxxxxx
As the group followed the cat, they found themselves in some sort of nursery. « This looks like a laboratory of some sort. Is that right, Luke? » Emmy asked the kid.
« I don't know…I've never seen this place before. » Luke responded.
« Perhaps if you spent more time outside instead of writing pointless letters you would know this place! » Max exclaimed.
« You're really not letting go of that letter, aren't you? » Emmy asked annoyed.
« He's going to have a comical reaction of some sort eventually. » was Max response.
« Did the cat ran inside there? » Layton pondered.
« Don't see any cat tracks around here, but maybe the people inside have seen it. » Sniper then said after inspecting the ground.
« Let's find out! » Luke said with a radiant smile, the first in a long time.
Xxxxxxx
Inside of the structure the group found a lady with blue hair that was pulled into pig tails and wears large glasses. She also wore a white jacket covering a blue shirt and wore reddish-brown pants. « Excuse me miss, have you seen by any chance a-holy flying fishes of Saturn with a flavouring of chilli dogs of the third dimension! » Sam said as he entered the building.
« What's all the-holy Dooley! It's a bloody coelacanth! » Sniper exclaimed at the sight of a gigantic fish in a large tank.
The lady smiled at the group. « Why, aren't you knowledgeable in fishes. »
« You kidding me!? I always wanted to see one of those! » Max exclaimed excited as he went to the tank to admire the beast.
« That being said, aren't they supposedly native of the waters of Madagascar? » Sam asked.
« Miss…you aren't illegally trafficking fishes, aren't you? » Max asked with a grin. She simply laughed.
«Not really. This specie of coelacanth is actually endemic of the waters of the Misthallery region, alongside many other species found in this nursery. » she explained.
« So these canals do have a purpose other than imitating Venice. » Max commented.
« Any chances of having a seal of unusual sizes? » Sniper then asked the lady, even showing the picture to help her identify the creature.
She examined it, but then handed it back to Sniper. « Sorry, I haven't seen a creature like these in my entire life. I do believe that not even the scientific community is aware of this specie. »
« Piss. » was all Sniper said.
Luke then timidly came to her. « Uh, hello. I was chasing a cat and I think it ran here. Was it yours? »
« We keep many species of fishes in here, but no cats. I think I know who you're talking about, though. I'm sure the cat lives in a very strange house deep in the forest. He seems to have some interest in the fish we're researching here, so he visits every now and then. » she said with a polite tone.
« Well you better close those fish tanks pretty well unless you want one of your little endemic friends disappearing like a political dissident in a South American dictatorship. » Sam commented.
« How do you research fish? » Luke asked curious.
« There are many kinds of fish in Misthallery unique to this area. We research those rare types of fish in this facility. Actually, we have some fish that we've only seen here in town. We could always use some help… » the lady admitted.
« Ohm uh, observe fish? That sounds very exciting but… » Emmy was beginning to say before being interrupted by Max.
« We're too busy dealing with a possible Elder God rampaging in your little fog generator. » the rabbit explained
A general silence followed in the area, with the fish lady eyes widened in shock and disbelief, almost as if Max was telling a joke. « There's no need to worry really. I think it's a low level godly Elder God. Our little puppet Charlie here never saw or heard of the guy. » Sam then said.
« Weeeellllll…do you guys need a psychologist by any chance? » the lady said worried.
« Well my pal here does have Artificial Personality Disorder. » Max answered the lady.
« I'll help you observe them, miss! » Luke tried to change the subject.
« I can tell you love animals. I think you'll like these fishes as well. » the lady said as she showed the kid a bunch of colourful fishes. « Many of our fish still need names. Do you think you could help us with that? Since we only discovered them recently, there are many things we still don't know about them. You can experiment with them and find out all there is to know! »
« We were looking for a cat and ended up with some fishes. » Emmy noted, as she ruffled Luke's hair.
« If I may miss, there's a question I've always had in my subconscious. What IS fish? » Max asked.
The lady was slightly confused. « Well…a fish is- »
« Nononono, I know what A fish is, but what IS fish? What's its metaphorical level of existence? What's its philosophical meaning? » Max tried to be as deep as possible.
« Please leave. » was all the lady said.
« Cheer up little buddy. I'm sure you'll find the meaning eventually. » Sam tried to comfort his rabbit pal.
Xxxxxxx
The group returned back to the forest, looking for that damn cat. « Luke, according to that lady, the cat lives in a house down this way. » Emmy said to the kid.
« Found some fresh tracks. That feline surely went where that doc said it lived. » Sniper noted.
« All right then, let's go! That cat is waiting! » Luke said excited, gaining a glad smile from Emmy. For the first time since the group met the little boy, he seemed truly happy.
« He seems to have developed quite a rapport with that cat. I wonder if he's like that with all animals. » Layton wondered further back.
« Well he seems to have a better relation with that cat than with his dad. And I thought I had problems with my family. » Sam noted.
Xxxxxxx
After more walking, the group found themselves in front of an old and weird looking house. « T-this house is really weird. » Luke shivered a bit at the sight.
« Come now, Luke. It's not scarier than a giant spectre, it is? » Emmy reassured the boy.
« It's not even that scary. Looks more like a place where a murder would take place. » Max noted.
« Not. Helping. » Emmy hissed behind her teeth.
« Just because it looks like it's a murder scene, it doesn't mean it IS a murder scene. » Max commented with a frown.
Emmy simply sighed. « Anyway, I'm going in. »
« If there is a serial killer, let us know with a slasher movie victim scream! » Max said.
Xxxxxxx
Inside the house, Emmy found an old lady with a witch's hat, a blouse, and a skirt. « Oh, pardon me ma'am. I didn't know anyone lived here. »
« So you just barge into the house of the beautiful and clairvoyant Granny Riddleton, eh!? » the woman responded.
« Again, I'm terribly sorry. » Emmy admitted, before the old lady took a closer look at her.
« Say…you look new from around here. Tourist? » she asked.
« Not really. I've been called here alongside Professor Layton to solve a case regarding an Elder God- » Emmy responded, before interrupting herself and cringing at the fact she just said those words.
However, she also noticed a look of complete shock from the old lady. « How do you know of the ancient enemy!? »
Emmy was taken aback from the outburst of the old lady, but realized something. «Wait…you know of the Elder Gods? But if you know about them… »
« I guess there's no point denying it any further. » the old woman sighed, before pulling out her head, which was an oversized mask, and reveal her true self.
Meanwhile, the rest of the gang had entered the house. « Emmy! Don't leave us alone like tha- » Luke exclaimed, before seeing the old lady, this time with the head of some sort of naked mole, gasping in shock.
« Sweet mole eating crocodile from Alabama! It's one of the mole people! » Sam exclaimed surprise.
« Indeed. Granny Riddleton is the name, and I could not but notice that you wield Charlie Ho-Tep, the most hated of the toys of power. » the mole woman, Granny Riddleton, said.
« No need to remind me of that. » Charlie gritted with his teeth.
« So you are one of the mole people Sam and Max told us about. » Layton said.
« What is your purpose in this human town, and why do you know of the Elder Gods? » Granny asked.
« Our collaborators, Sam and Max, believe that Misthallery is being attacked by an Elder God. Do your people know of an Elder God known as the Spectre of Misthallery? » Layton asked.
« Many Elder Gods walked among this planet. Misthallery itself is a place of dark history. It is here that the bloodiest battle between the combined Azran and Molemen forces occurred, which resulted in the defeat of the great Elder God army led by Spetu-Mitallah. And, eons later, it was also the site of a terrible battle between the Molemen and the Azrans themselves. » Granny declared.
« A…battle between the Azran and the Molemen? » Emmy asked, clearly intrigued.
« It was such a ferocious fight, that the ancient Molemen city of Forvil was shattered and destroyed. As a mockery of our people, the Azran built their Golden Garden on what remained of the city. » Granny explained.
« Oh…that's awful. » Luke said a bit sad.
« Not really. The Romans did the same with Carthage yet no one consider them bad. » Max commented.
« Could this Spetu-Mitallah be the name of the Spectre of Misthallery? » Layton asked.
« Spetu-Mitallah was one of the cruellest of the Elder Gods. It demanded sacrifices of virgins every seven days, food offering every day, no matter if it was feast or drought, and commanded the human population with an iron fist. » Granny said.
« That's impossible! The legend says that the Spectre has protected Misthallery for generations against bandits! How could such a gentle guardian be so cruel?! » Luke exclaimed, shocked.
« That's because it's very likely that your Spectre is not actually Spetu-Mitallah. By the time humans built this village centuries ago, the Elder Gods have been banished to the Dark Dimension, and the Azran filth had fallen. » Granny noted.
« Aw man, and me thinking that we were finally find some clues. » Max complained.
« Actually, we have gathered some information's. » Layton then said.
« Did we? » Sam asked confused.
« Indeed. For example, we now know that the Spectre is not an Elder God. » Layton explained.
« And the proofs are? » Max asked annoyed.
« As miss Granny Riddleton has explained, the Elder Gods have been banished to the Dark Dimension long before humans could establish a stationary village in the area. This town had been funded in the Middle Ages, and I doubt that there were any Elder Gods running amok around these times. » Layton explained.
« They have long been banished. » Granny said.
« But what if someone summoned him in the past? If my evil counterpart could do it, I'm sure the humans could had found a way to summon him and defend this village. » Charlie noted.
« However, Granny Riddleton said Spetu-Mitallah was a cruel Elder God, while the legend of the Spectre depicts him as a gentle figure defending the town from bandits. » Layton explained.
« Perhaps a few couple of millennia's in the Dark Dimension changed him? » Sniper asked.
« Not really. Elder Gods don't change that easily. » Charlie noted.
« So I say that we have the certainty that the Spectre is not an Elder God. » Layton then said.
« But we still have no clue what it is! » Sam exclaimed.
« We will see tonight. » Layton then said, before turning to Granny. « I must thank you, miss, for your help. »
« Go and get that impostor! » Granny exclaimed, as the group exited the building.
Xxxxxxx
As the group exited the building, Layton noticed that they weren't near the hotel anymore. « We seem to have wandered rather far from the hotel. Perhaps we should go back now. »
« Yeah. I'm getting a bit hungry. » Luke said, as his stomach grumbled a bit.
« Damn it kid, we're not your babysitter service! » Max exclaimed angrily.
« Actually, I'm a bit hungry myself. » Sam admitted.
« I could eat a bloody kangaroo! » Sniper exclaimed.
« Well, are you guys in the mood for some delicious, nutritious food? » Sam asked.
« You bet! » Luke exclaimed.
« Well then it's best if we don't go to Stinky's Diner. » Sam then said.
« On Pike Lane, however, there was another Diner we could go in. » Luke then said.
« Never face a spectre with an empty stomach. » Emmy declared.
« Never in my life I thought I would hear that phrase being said. » Sniper grumbled.
Xxxxxxx
Returning to the canal, our group met a familiar face. « Heyyyyyy! We meet again! » it was Bucky, alongside his trustworthy boats.
« Bucky? I thought you were at Grand Bridge. » Layton noted surprised.
« Does that mean your crappy boat emporium is working again? Because I really want to feel the sensation of drowning one of these days. » Max grinned.
« Yep. Now my boats are at your service! » Bucky exclaimed, clearly not discouraged.
« Bloody hell are those your boats!? You don't even have a motor! » Sniper noted.
« They may not look like much, my Aussie friend, but I assume you that they are quite capable! » Bucky exclaimed.
« Yeah that seems about right. Anyway, have you seen a seal of unusual sizes around here? » Sniper then asked, showing the picture.
Bucky simply laughed. « Seals!? Here in Misthallery!? »
« You guys have freaking coelacanth, a seal isn't that unlikely. » Max continued.
« Anyway, Luke, my boy, I have something for you! » Bucky then said as he handed a toy train track to the boy.
At the sight, Charlie eyes widened in shock. « I recognize those tracks! They came from the Train of the Wind! It's one of the Toys of Power! »
Bucky looked at the puppet confused. « Toys of Power? Also did that puppet just talk? »
« It's a long story. » was all Emmy said.
« Which we don't have the time to explain! Good sir, do you appear to have the toy train alongside those tracks? » Charlie asked.
« He doesn't, but we have. » Layton said, as he pulled out the toy train Bucky gave Luke earlier.
Max then proceed to grab both the tracks and the train, only to spaz in the air, with several electrical bolts coming out. Finally, he felt down on the ground. « The Train of the Wind allows you to travel at extreme speed, faster than the eye can even conceive! The more tracks you have, the longer you will be able to maintain your god-like speed! » Charlie explained Max.
« We so need to try it next time! » Max exclaimed excited.
« I have some more tracks at home. Meet me next time and I'll give you what I have. I don't have all the tracks, mind you. » Bucky said serious.
« Much appreciated, good sir. » Layton said.
Xxxxxxx
Central Pier interactions:
« You know that lamp post reminds me of simpler days. » Sam commented as he watched a large lamp post.
« We should definitely take the Desoto for a spin around here one of these days. » Max grinned.
« Unless you want the mayor police force, the British guards and the Royal Air Force on our tail, I suggest we don't. » Sam responded.
Xxxxxxx
As our heroes walked along the streets, they noticed the same man that greeted them where they first saw the cat. « Hey, you were the ones chasing a cat around, right? » he asked.
« Honestly it's none of your damn business, but you can thank the brat here for wasting our entire damn time! » Max complained.
« So was meeting Granny pointless as well? » Luke noted slightly angry.
« Ah, cats. Truly, they are some of the most fascinating creatures in this world. » the man commented.
« I don't trust those fluffy fiends one bit. » Sam said slightly angry.
« Ha ha. I can tell. You must be a dog person, right? » the man laughed.
« Honestly this might just be a pun, but you are absolutely right. » Sam answered.
« If I may, do you know anything about this Spectre that is running about? » Layton asked the man.
« I know that the Spectre has no sense of courtesy when it comes to someone's beauty rest. » the man answered.
« Which explains why you look like a hedgehog roadkill! » Max grinned.
« Have you seen it yourself? » Layton asked.
« No. when the fog is thick, it's difficult to see anything. And it does appear that the Spectre appears when the fog is thickest. And always at night. » the man responded.
« Wait. This fog can get THICKER!? » Max asked surprised.
« It's as if the fog centred around where the Spectre appears. And it seems to disappear very quickly. » the man continued.
« Something about the Spectre, maybe? The fog just finds it to be irresistible. » Luke commented.
« It doesn't appear to be the only thing the fog finds irresistible. » Max complained.
Xxxxxxx
After more walking, our heroes finally found Pike Lane, and entered a Restaurant. Greeting the group was a man in chef clothing. « Welcome to Paddy Place! Well now, you don't look familiar. Is this your first time here? » the man, Paddy apparently, asked with a strong Irish accent.
« Yes it is, as a matter of fact. » Layton answered.
« And unless your cooking matches Stinky's Diner, it won't be the last. » Sam then said.
« Unfortunately for you. » Max then said with a mischievous grin.
« Well, I'm Paddy, and this is my place! Our dinner special tonight is a succulent leg of lamb glazed with herb-infused olive oil, served with an orange sauce with cabbage and crispy potatoes. It's a winner of a dinner that won't make you thinner! Sit down! » Paddy exclaimed.
« As long as you stop your riming, you got yourself some new loyal costumers. » Sam proclaimed.
Emmy, on the other hand, had her jaws wide open. « I think my mind drooled a bit. »
« And your mouth is wide open too! » Luke noted.
« You got a little drool on your shirt, Luke. You doing ok? » she asked with a teasing tone.
« Yes lamb. » Luke said without thinking, too concentrated on the idea of the lamb.
« Say kid, you don't engage yourself in cannibalism, right? » Sam asked concerned.
« Don't be ashamed. I bet people taste like chicken, right? » Max continued.
Suddenly, Luke cheeks adorably glow red in embarrassment as he realized what he said. « S-sorry! I meant ma'am! Yes! Ma'am! Thank you, I'm potato. »
He was so adorable in this current situation, that Emmy melted at the scene. « Aw… I think our little oracle needs a snack. »
« Well then let's take a quick bite and return to the hotel. » Layton then said, as he sat down with the rest of the group.
« I'm gonna take a Meat Pie. It better not be one of those vegan jokes those hippies continue to sell around. » Sniper told Paddy.
« I long have wondered how food taste like. I'll take the Meat Pies as well. » Charlie then said.
« Can you even eat little guy? » Sam asked.
« I'm a magical puppet with the ability to control others! I'm pretty sure I can taste food. » Charlie responded.
« I guess you have a point. Well let's see… I'll take a double bacon cheddar butter deluxe, heavy on the wacky sauce. Two orders of the jalapeno cheesy poofters, Rhode Island-style. » Sam then said.
« No! Three! » Max exclaimed.
« Okay, three. And let's throw in one of the eight-bean casseroles with extra onion rings, and finish it off with a jumbo-sized frosty banana mint pickle cyclone chugger, with extra jimmies. » Sam continued.
« Small side salad, please. Oh, and some bangers and mash. HOLD THE MASH. » Max then said. Everyone looked at the duo with shocked and confused eyes.
Paddy simply remained there smiling. « We serve FOOD, my good American sirs. »
« Note to self. When going for a meal at a local restaurant, remember to check the menu before making requests. » was all Sam said.
Xxxxxxx
«Unnhh. I'm so full. I can barely see. » Emmy said after having enjoyed her dinner.
« That's what she said. » Sniper commented.
« Sexual jokes aside that was the feast of a lifetime. You know, eating is my fourth favourite thing to do to things. Third is touching them! » Max then exclaimed. The whole group looked at the bunny in confusion and partially in fear. « In case you were wondering, second is licking. »
« None the less, we should roll ourselves back to the hotel. » Layton then said.
« I'm going to mount that bloody ghost head on my van wall. » Sniper proclaimed as he loaded his rifle.
« You make it sound like it's some sort of game. » Luke said, slightly frowning.
« Believe me kid. This ghost has never seen the power of firepower and lack of restrain on propriety damage. » Sam proclaimed as he pulled out his gun.
« Isn't he the one doing most of the propriety damage anyway? » Charlie asked.
« Nah. I'd rate his destruction levels to a mark five on the Max burrito diner scale. » Sam explained.
« When that scale reaches 10, Fat Boy has nothing on me! » Max grinned.
« Please don't destroy Misthallery Max. » Luke pleaded.
Layton laughed slightly at the boy, not in a mocking tone but in an amused one. « Do not worry my boy. I'm sure that he has no intention to destroy this city, and I'm sure that our friends didn't mean to make light of the situation. Let's go. »
« Well, time to bring to an end this ghost reign of terror the only way we know. With more terror. » Sam then proclaimed.
Xxxxxxx
As they exited the café, they were greeted by fog. A lot of fog.
« Oh come on! How does this freaking fog get even thicker!? » Max complained.
« Does that mean that the spectre is close!? » Emmy said worried.
Sniper however remained calm. « Not yet. Do you hear that? »
The group started to listen, but heard nothing. « Hear what? It's quieter than a crow in a stand-up comedy trying to impress bats from the Aurora Borealis. » Sam commented.
« Exactly. A ghost ravaging the town cannot be this quiet. Let's head back to the hotel. » Sniper then said.
Xxxxxxx
Hat Shop Interactions:
As the group went to the hotel, they met a familiar face. A fat man wearing a purple hat. « I thought everyone have been evacuated. » Emmy noted.
« The spectre will be here soon. It's dangerous. Please evacuate quickly! » Luke exclaimed to the man.
« No! I refuse! I'm not moving another inch! I bravely packed up all my family's belonging, but my impertinent son still calls me a coward! I don't intend to do anything to such an ungrateful son! » the man responded with a frown and his arms crossed, like an unhappy child.
Sniper however was not taking a no for an answer. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him on a wall so hard, a crack was made. « Listen up, ya pot-bellied lardass! If you and ya fat jigglin' butterballs don't leave in the next five seconds, you're gonna bleed gravy, and I'll finally claim the record for banging the world's fattest man! »
« All right, all right! Fine! I'll leave! I don't want to, but if it makes you happy. By the way, lovely hat. » the man said, trying to sound as brave as possible, as Sniper dropped him. He then proceed to go to the house to pack his belonging and convince his family.
Sniper then turned to Sam and Max with a big smile in his face. « So how was that, pigs? »
« With that attitude, you'll make a fine police man! » Sam proclaimed.
« As long as it's a freelance one. » Max commented.
« No offense, my friend but…I would move against you becoming a police officer. » Layton said.
« Yeah! What was that!? » Emmy exclaimed, as Luke hid behind her out of fear of the Australian's outburst.
« It's called intimidation. That plump bloody freakshow was not gonna leave unless someone pointed a gun at his head. Bloody idiot. » Sniper then commented.
« None the less, try to concentrate all that violence against the spectre. » Sam then said.
Xxxxxxx
As the group finally reached the hotel, Luke face became slightly pale. « Well here we are in the world most depressing hotel. » Sam commented. However, Emmy had noticed little Luke's state.
« What's the matter, Luke? » she said as she knelt down on his level, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
« The spectre is trying to destroy this town. » Luke responded.
« No shit sherlock, kid. It's the reason we're here in the first place. » Max commented annoyed.
« But it can also destroy this hotel. » Luke noted.
« Oh. Well that's a fair point actually. » Sam noted.
« Wait, Luke—is that another prediction? » Emmy asked.
« Prediction? What, he can see the bloody future? » Sniper asked incredulous.
« … I don't know. » Luke replied.
« Would you like us to take you home, Luke? » Layton then asked.
« No. if I went home, I would have to see my father. » Luke responded.
Sniper groaned at the response. « Daddy issues, huh? Can relate, mate. »
« Luke, you're here because you wanted to see the spectre, right? » Layton deduced.
« T-that's right. As the one who predicts the spectre's appearances, I have to be here! » Luke exclaimed.
« I would agree. Everything will be fine. You'll be safe no matter what happens. I promise. » Layton promised.
« You know if I was in your situation, I would be less afraid than the spectre and more afraid of the anthropomorphic police dog with a fedora, its psychotic rabbit friend, their magic ventriloquist doll and the Australian with a sniper rifle. » Sam commented.
« Not. Helping. » Emmy gritted behind her teeth.
None the less, Luke smiled. « Thank you. All of you. » he said in a soft tone.
« Nah mate. » Sniper said, as he prepared his rifle and a massive knife. « Thank YOU. »
Xxxxxxx
As they entered the hotel, Joseph greeted them, still drinking. « Ohhh, what might you folks be doing up at this hour? You should retire for the night. I should too. »
« We paid the room, we do what we want. » Max responded with a deadpan expression.
« I'm afraid our night is just beginning. We're going to be up until the spectre appears. » Layton then said.
« Got a room for one more? » Sniper then asked.
« Sure. We don't have that many visitors these days. » Joseph responded.
Xxxxxxx
Once the group reached the room, everyone got into "battle stations". Sniper was inspecting the roads with its rifle, alongside Sam and Max who had their guns pointed at any sight of movement. Charlie was on Luke's shoulders, prepared to use his powers to distract the spectre when the time was right.
« Well, what do you think, Luke? Do you see anything yet? » Layton asked.
« No. Nothing. » Luke responded with a yawn.
« Indeed, the streets are emptier than a vegan intestine track. » Sam noted.
« This spectre better show up, so we can give him a good old American style police power abuse! » Max grinned.
« Quiet, ya pest. For all I care this thing is scared of sounds. » Sniper commented.
« I'm still having a tough time buying all of this. It sounds like some sort of scary bedtime story. Is it even possible? » Emmy commented.
« Coming from the girl who was so excited to see the damn spectre in the first place. » Max commented.
« I'm just being realistic. » she responded.
« Well…we'll soon find out. » Layton then said, as he went near a seat.
Meanwhile, Emmy looked at Luke with concern. «…And a poor little boy who predicts where the giant spectre will appear. »
Luke turned to her, but quickly went back to observing the streets.
« So what now? I mean, what if the bloody thing never even show up? » Emmy asked as she sat on the bed.
But as the professor was about to enjoy a cup of tea, a noise begun to play. « What is-what on earth could that be? »
« it sounds like… It sounds like music! » Emmy exclaimed, as she heard the sound as well, a sort of flute like music to say.
« The flute… It must be… » Luke said.
« I recognize that melody! It's- » Charlie was about to say, before the ground started to shake.
« Heh. Maybe it's the power trying to come back on. » max quoted Gennaro from Jurassic Park to ease the situation. Then, a loud crashing sound was heard on the outside.
« Quick! To the window! » Layton exclaimed.
Sniper had already prepared his rifle, and Sam and Max pointed their guns outside. There, they saw a giant black figure, with a massive arm, red eyes and…antennae? None the less, the thing had grabbed a lamp post and had started tearing apart the city, while also headbutting a building.
Luke was absolutely terrified. Layton and Emmy were shocked. Sam, Max, Sniper and Charlie were completely unamused.
« Well that's a bit anticlimactic. » Sam said disappointed.
« THAT'S the Spectre?! » Max tried to hold his laughter, failing miserably.
« Can you take this SERIOUSLY!? » Emmy shouted as she tried to grab he camera, almost losing grip of her.
« Meh. It gets a one star on the terror level. Can't believe I thought it was an Elder God. » Charlie said disappointed.
« What is going to do? Headbutt us to death!? » Sniper exclaimed, laughing at his own joke. Almost as he heard him, the spectre turned to the hotel, raised his arm, and prepared to hit it. « Oh…piss. »
Then, the mighty claw came down, striking the hotel.
The whole group collapsed to the ground because of the impact, but no one was seriously hurt. « I told you! This is it! The world is ending! » Luke exclaimed, before covering himself in fear.
« Well I say we had our fun making fun of the least intimidating ghost I've ever seen. Max! Here! The train toy! » Sam exclaimed, as he threw the train toy to Max, who in the meantime had grabbed Charlie.
Max then pointed Charlie at a random group of houses. « Hey you generic unthreatening piece of garbage! Over here! » Charlie exclaimed. The spectre heard these words, but on the opposite direction of where they came from. This was the power of ventriloquism.
He prepared to destroy the housed from where the noise "came from", but then Max, having channelled the power of the train toy, charged at the Spectre with superhuman speed, hitting it in the back of the head.
He then proceed to bite the spectre in several areas, almost trying to injury it somehow.
«Let's have a go at it! » Sniper exclaimed and, after taking some shots at the creature with his rifle alongside Sam, he decided to get closer to the beast. « GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! »
With that, Sniper jumped down the window.
« I'm coming, little buddy! » Sam then said, as he also jumped down the window. The duo begun to take several shots at the massive spectre, dodging the occasional arm swipe.
However, not even the power of the trio was enough to stop the Spectre, who simply…walked away. After pushing Max off like an annoying fly, with Sam catching the white lagomorph.
« Well that's not very nice. » Sam said angrily as he helped his little buddy.
In the room, meanwhile, Layton decided to chase the Spectre. « Let's go! » he exclaimed, before he was grabbed by Luke.
« No, please! You can't go out there! » the poor boy exclaimed in the verge of tears.
« Luke… » was all Layton said. Suddenly, the music started again.
« Where is it coming from?! » Emmy exclaimed. In the meantime, Layton begun to kneel down on Luke's level.
« Luke, listen… we must keep a clean head at times like this. Do you understand? » he then asked the boy, who simply nodded. « We can only uncover the truth if we stay calm and remain rational. Do you think you can do that for me? »
Luke said nothing, but his face become more determinate, and he nodded.
Xxxxxxx
As Luke, Layton and Emmy exited the hotel, Sam, Max, Charlie and Sniper had already begun to chase down the Spectre. In the meantime, a massive fog had developed. « I've never seen fog this thick before. Not even in London! » Emmy exclaimed.
« It's one of the Spectre's powers….one of its many, terrible powers. » Luke said, still afraid.
« Let's not worry about that now. OK, Luke? » Layton reassured the boy.
« Yes Mr. Layton. » Luke responded.
« Let's keep in mind that one cannot overcome fear by feeding it. And you're very lucky, considering you have friends here to help you overcome your fear. » Layton then said.
« I-I suppose that's true. » Luke gave Layton a weak smile.
« I'm frightened too. But we can't get distracted. Now…let's go see what this Spectre is all about. » Layton then said, right before loud gunshots could be heard.
« Gunshots! It must be the trio! They're coming from Great Ely Street! » Emmy exclaimed, as she begun running toward that direction.
Xxxxxxx
Near one of the canals, Sam, Max and Sniper were shooting at the vague figure of the Spectre, hiding perfectly well in the fog. « Whoever genius invented fog must be put on the electric chair while eaten by rodents! » Max cursed as he wasn't able to aim very well.
« How the hell is this bloody Spectre so hard to hit!? » Sniper exclaimed.
« If only we had the flute, this would be over in seconds! » Charlie complained. However, still distracted from the figure in front of them, our heroes did not notice something in the water, which created a mini tsunami and hit our heroes at full strength.
« Well that was unpleasant and just not nice. » Sam commented angrily.
« Sam! Max! Sniper! Charlie! You ok!? » Layton exclaimed as he reached the group.
« Have been bloody better. And we lost the wanker! » Sniper exclaimed angrily, as he pointed out that the Spectre was long gone.
« You know this Spectre might not be intimidating but it sure is annoying to chase down! » Sam exclaimed. Suddenly, the music begun to play once more.
« It's the damn flute again! » Max exclaimed angrily.
« But where is it coming from? » Layton asked.
« It sounds like it's close but…I don't see anyone here. » Emmy said.
« It's faint now, but we can still hear it. We must follow it. Quickly! » Layton exclaimed.
« It sounds like it's coming from… over there! In the park » Emmy exclaimed.
« Well this is going to be a pain for my cardio. » Sam complained.
« Quit complaining, fatass! » Charlie exclaimed.
« Evil or not you seem to enjoy making fun of my physique. » Sam frowned.
Xxxxxxx
As the group ran toward the park, they met Hugo, one of the figures they met earlier. « You mate! Have you seen anyone playing a flute!? » Sniper exclaimed.
« No, but I heard a wind instrument. Can't say if it was a flute or an oboe. » the man responded.
« I don't care what bloody instrument it was! Where did it came from!? » Sniper exclaimed.
« I could tell you…but I don't know how accurate I'd be. It was loud, though, and had an echo to it. » Hugo responded.
« An echo? » Emmy asked confused.
« It sounded like it was coming from all directions. I found it rather unsettling, to be honest. » Hugo said, before the music started to play again.
« There's the music again! It's coming from over there! » Emmy exclaimed. However, the noise was far less clear this time. «Oh, no, wait… Over there! I think. »
« Yes, there is a strange echo that makes it difficult to locate the source. » Layton noted.
« Could that really be…the Spectre's flute? » Luke asked to himself.
« Perhaps tonight we uncover the music's origins. Let's follow it! » Layton exclaimed.
«Go on then, mates! » Sniper exclaimed.
« Good luck lads! » Hugo exclaimed.
« God save the Queen! » Sniper exclaimed once more.
« Damn right! » Emmy exclaimed, as she ran toward the direction of the sound.
Xxxxxxx
After more aimless running, the group were unable to find the source of the noise. « I thought the music was coming from here, but I'm not so sure now. » Layton admitted.
« The Spectre's flute. It must be the Spectre's flute. » Luke said out loud.
« The Spectre's flute? What's that? » Emmy asked.
« It must be the native's name for the Flute of Sammit. » Charlie then said.
« As I said before, the legend of the spectre is Misthallery's oldest tale. Long ago, the villagers used a flute to call upon a spectre to protect them from invaders.» Luke explained.
« Yep. Definitely does sound like the Flute of Sammit. » Charlie admitted.
« Wait…does that mean that this "Spectre's flute" is one of the Toys of Power!? » Emmy exclaimed shocked.
« Indeed. The flute had the ability to command beasts to do the bidding of whoever plays it. Junior used it to train his little Xenomorph pets. Played more with those freaks than me. » Charlie said sad.
« So it seems that some fiend is using the flute to force the Spectre to do their unspeakable bidding. » Sam noted.
« This qualifies as a baffling mystery! » Max exclaimed.
« Luke, is that what you meant when you said that the world was ending? » Emmy asked the boy.
« Yes. It's all in the legend. » Luke responded.
« Indeed. If this Spectre is capable of world destroying abilities, I know that an excessive use of the flute of Sammit can lose its proprieties if used too frequently. Let me tell you, those Xenomorphs did a number on the Antarctic civilization of Xaritca. » Charlie then said.
« Well that explains why you were so scared of the least scary ghost I've ever seen in my entire life. » Sam noted.
« No I was scared of that random moth in the window- OF COURSE I'M SCARED! The Spectre is bent on total destruction! » Luke shouted at the dog.
« Well, sure. I mean, that's what monsters do. But there's something weird about this. » Emmy noted.
« Weird doesn't even begin to describe it! You all saw the Spectre, right!? » Luke exclaimed angrily.
« I know that I saw something, but I don't know that what I saw was the Spectre from the legend. » Emmy tried to calm the child down.
« All we know right now is that there's a Spectre in Misthallery. » Layton then said.
« Yes, there is definitely a very large and very angry SOMETHING attacking this village. » Emmy continued.
« That was the Spectre! Why don't you believe me!? » Luke was on the verge of tears.
« Believe me kid, it's pretty hard not believing you at this current stage! » Sam then said.
« I literally bit the damn thing! I would have to have some serious mental issues to ignore that thing! » Max exclaimed angrily. Emmy simply raised an eyebrow at the bunny. « Yeah, I know, I DO have issues, but none regarding not believing ghosts! »
« Luke, I believed your letter when I came here. I believed you when you said the Spectre would appear. » Layton then said.
« So why won't you believe me now? » Luke almost pleaded.
« We all saw the Spectre. But now we need to unearth its origins. » Layton explained. « This is quite a puzzle here. We must examine all facets thoroughly before we come to any conclusions. »
« Hate to break it to ya, pom, but we lost the bloody Spectre. » Sniper said at the man.
« Not a problem. Let's take a look at what we already know. For now, we have plenty of clues concerning the Spectre's true nature right before us. » Layton explained.
« We do? » Luke asked innocently.
« Yes. » was Layton response. A short silence followed.
« So what are the clues again? » Max asked the professor.
« Well, did anyone see the feet of the spectre? I did not. It seems that it likes to conceal itself in water. » Layton explained.
« The canals… » Luke realized.
« Precisely. And Mr. Mundy, as a professional hunter, don't you find weird that the Spectre left no footprints, despite its size? » Layton asked the Australian.
« Only thing the bloody bastard left other than ruins is a wet road. » Sniper answered.
« And then there's the matter of that sound. » Layton then said.
« You mean the flute that is being used for hypnotize the Spectre? » Sam asked.
« No, there was something else. When the Spectre appeared, I heard a strange grunting, growling noise. » Layton answered.
« Strange… » Luke said.
« Grunting… » Emmy said.
« Growling… » Sniper said as he was realizing what was going on.
«…Noise, yes. I can't yet make any certain conclusions about what we saw or heard. » Layton admitted.
« But I think I can explain the sound. It's the bloody seal. » Sniper said.
« Pardon me? » Layton asked confused.
« I didn't listen too much to the sound you described, but judging on how you said it was, I thing the Spectre had a bloody fight with the seal. These sounds are typical in fighting bulls. » Sniper explained.
« An interesting theory, Mr. Mundy. But for now, the biggest clue we have right now is the music. » Layton then said.
« I heard something about an old, antique flute that was recently auctioned off in the black market. » Luke then said.
« And what? You think that might be the spectre's flute? » Emmy asked.
« Maybe…I don't know. » Luke replied.
« We should trust Luke's instinct on this one. It's definitely worth investigating this black market. » Layton replied. « It's the best lead we have. Even if it is our only lead. »
« We're gonna need bigger firepower. » Max said. With this phrase, Layton's face paled. If those two could be bold enough to charge at a giant Spectre with nothing but a Luger and a Revolver, what could they do with stronger weapons?
Perhaps it's best if he didn't know.
Xxxxxxx
If you want to give me any suggestions for quotes and scenarios, just tell me in the reviews. I will also include characters both from the Sam and Max universe (Hit the Road, animated Series Telltale Episodes), alongside the universes of the chumps who participated in the Poker Night at the Inventory 1 and 2. Just tell me when you want them introduced!
In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review so I can learn your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions, so stay tuned. Also remember to like and follow. I would also appreciate if you also supported my other Fanfictions!
See you on the next chapter!