Chapter Twenty

"What are you doing in this simulacrum of a city? Where are your parents? Why are you covered in paint, for God's sake?"

Luke refused to acknowledge Desmond's questions (really, they sounded more like demands) until they had locked the Family guards in some crates and Luke had finally solved the puzzle on the shutter door.

They ducked through the service entrance and shut the door behind them.

"You owe me answers at the very least," Desmond hissed. "I just saved your life—"

"After you dropped me off the Detragon," Luke reminded him.

From how Desmond froze, you would think Luke had just struck him. Oh, right... Luke wasn't meant to know he was Descole.

While Desmond worked through his identity crisis, Luke looked around. The service entrance wasn't quite as... sewery as he remembered. The pipes above them weren't rusty yet and the stone floor wasn't very grimy. There wasn't much water flowing through the canal, just a small stream no higher than Luke's knees.

"How..." Desmond's brain started to reboot itself. "How on Earth did you survive the fall?" Apparently, that was more comprehensible than Luke knowing his true identity.

Luke climbed down the ladder and landed in the canal. His painted 'disguise' would probably be washed away, but it didn't matter now.

Sissel hopped down onto Luke's shoulder. "I'm not getting my paws wet," Sissel said. (Sissy cat...)

Desmond loomed over them. "Does it have something to do with that..." He flapped his hand towards Sissel. "That telekinetic cat?"

"I launched a load of trash cans at him in the alley," Sissel told Luke.

Luke frowned as Desmond followed them into the canal. "Why were you stalking us? How did you know we were here?"

Desmond sniffed. "When I heard about Janice Quatlane's disappearance, I attempted to do some digging at Scotland Yard. There, I encountered Nina Wells and her parents. The girl was extremely concerned... about you. Speaking to an officer, she claimed she had bumped into you outside her house and she saw you rushing towards Midland Road."

"Okay..." Luke said, trying not to dwell on the fact that Desmond knew where Nina lived. "Then what?"

"When I arrived, there was some commotion at the clock shop on Midland Road. An ambulance was summoned for a man who was knocked out by a falling clock..." He raised an eyebrow at Luke and Sissel.

"That man works for the mastermind of this city," Luke explained. "What happened to Spring and Cogg, the shop owners?"

"Those oldtimers left with the ambulance." Desmond smirked at his own pun. Luke and Sissel gave him a flat look. Desmond huffed and went on, "I snuck into the shop and figured out how to access the lift. It wasn't exactly difficult."

Luke traded a quick glance with Sissel. "Right..."

Desmond backtracked, "You mentioned a mastermind— is that why you're here, to foil another scientist's plan?"

Luke said, "It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes. We need to shut down the giant Mobile Fortress he's built... which should be this way." Luke turned to the left and started trekking through the sewer tunnel.

"Are you quite sure you know where you're going?" Desmond called contemptuously, though he trailed after Luke.

"Sure. This is the tunnel they use to transport materials to the fortress," Luke replied. He lowered his voice to Sissel and checked, "Can you smell if other people have been down this way?"

"Sewer," Sissel said, poking Luke's cheek with his nose. "That's all I can smell. We're following your instincts here."

It wasn't instinct and it wasn't intuition; Luke had just been just relying on what he remembered, as usual. But now, this route was new to him. His confidence was starting to flicker out like the lamps on the tunnel walls.

Were they below the facility's entrance road now? Were the guards searching for the fire starter up there?

Desmond didn't help with his unease at all. "What are your... parents doing right now?" Desmond prodded.

"The professor's still with them, if that's what you're wondering," Luke said. "They've gone to steal a memory-scanner from the head scientist, Dimitri Allen." Luke hoped they were succeeding.

"Memory-scanner?" Desmond repeated, as though it was the most primal contraption he had ever heard of. "Why would...?" He faltered for a moment before he said, "His memories are fading, aren't they?"

"Yes—"

"Why didn't you just let me deal with this?" Desmond stomped through the water, drenching Luke from behind. "I could have built you another Detragon in no time!" Sissel hissed at him.

Luke spun around and kicked water at Desmond. "You also wanted to use my dad as a host! Our plan is to save the professor's memories and... and move them somewhere else."

Swiping at his wet glasses, Desmond snarled, "That is the most ludicrous... amateurish... nonsensical thing I have ever heard!"

Sissel snorted. "We're talking about saving the dead. In what universe does that make sense?"

Desmond's tirade continued. "Were you intending to keep the memories in a glass jar?"

"No!" Luke shot back. "We were going to save them to a… a computer!"

"You can't even begin to fathom the intricacies of memory mechanics—"

"Wait—" Sissel suddenly stiffened on Luke's shoulder.

Luke stopped and glanced at him. Ahead of them on the left side of the canal was a pipe expelling filthy water.

"—If that blasted pilot hadn't blown up my Detragon—"

"Shut up," Luke spat at Desmond.

Sissel sprung off Luke's shoulder, barely making a splash in the canal. He crawled into the pipe.

Luke flinched at the high-pitched shriek that echoed from the pipe's interior.

"That stupid cat must have triggered an alarm," Desmond seethed. "Let's move!"

"Hang on…" Luke said, gritting his teeth. The noise was like nails being dragged across a chalkboard! It was getting closer— a continuous squeal.

Shielding his ears with his hands, Desmond moaned, "This is even worse than that manatee of yours—"

A tiny grey rabbit tumbled out of the pipe, still squealing incoherently. He was bare, dirty and his floppy ears were almost longer than his body.

Subject 3?

Sissel popped out behind him. He glanced from Luke to the baby rabbit. "Do you know this rodent, Luke?"

"Ugh!" Desmond said. He made a shooing motion to Sissel and his 'prey'. "Take it away, cat. Put it out of its misery."

Much to Desmond's disgust, Luke stooped in the water beside Subject 3. "Excuse me... " Luke had to raise his voice over the squealing. "EXCUSE ME!"

The wordless shriek became a plea. "Please, please, have mercy, human kit!"

What a difference three years could make. The first time Luke had met Subject 3, he had threatened to rearrange Luke's kneecaps. Now, Subject 3 was begging for mercy on his knees.

"We're not going to hurt you," Luke said. "Where did you come from?"

"The l-l-lab! I escaped when the alarm was going off! Please don't send me b-b-back!"

"Did the parrot— the green bird— escape too?"

"I don't... don't know." Subject 3 covered his eyes with his paws, quivering all over. "I just hopped out of my cage and dove down the nearest toilet!"

Sissel shuffled away from him.

"We need that parrot," Luke explained to Sissel as well as Subject 3. "S... Say, Mr. Rabbit, if you can lead us to the lab and help us find the parrot, I promise we'll get you out of here."

"If you're done conversing with the local vermin, we should carry on."

Desmond's growl made Subject 3 quail even more. "I c-can't go back!" he whimpered. "Those white coats will torture me to death. I didn't think my life could get much worse, after I was separated from my parents, but then—"

"That sounds awful," Luke interrupted. (They could save the tragic backstories for later.) "Sissel will go with you through the pipes. He'll keep you'll be safe—"

"Does Sissel get a say in this?" Sissel wondered. Luke frowned at him. Sissel added, "I just don't feel good about leaving you with this stalker — " He gave Desmond the side-eye.

"What?" Desmond scoffed.

"I'll be fine," Luke mumbled. "He did save me back there..." And he had once saved Luke from an Azran trap.

"Fine, but don't move from this spot. Tell him I'll shove his head up the pipe if he touches you."

Luke relayed the plan to Desmond, along with Sissel's threat.

"Duly noted," Desmond said, undaunted.

Sissel turned his back on Luke and Desmond. He pushed Subject 3 into the pipe. "Lead the way, Rabbit." Luke listened until he could no longer hear Subject 3's whimpers.

"Must you recruit every beast you come into contact with?" Desmond sighed.

"Says the one who uses wolves and sharks as henchmen…"

"At least they were threatening until you came along and domesticated them. Why the devil do you require a parrot?"

"So we can get a message to all the workers in the city," Luke said, as if it was obvious, "and help everyone escape—"

"No," Desmond cut in. "I am here for you and your parents. That's it. So help me, I will drag you out of this sewer—"

"You don't care about anyone else, do you?"

"You can't save everyone!" Desmond snapped.

Luke shot him a piercing glare. To Luke's surprise, Desmond looked away, clenching his fists.

They stewed in silence for a few moments. Luke peered into the pipe. Hurry up, Sissel...

"How did you find out about my identity and my... connection to Layton?"

Luke gripped the rim of the pipe. There it was— the question he had been dreading most. He was very glad he currently had his back to Desmond.

"Don't bother lying," Desmond added.

There was no fooling a master of deceit. Even Professor Layton hadn't been able to see through Desmond's lies when they were searching for the Azran eggs.

Desmond had written to Layton as himself— or at least, as his old self. He wasn't wearing a disguise when he teamed up with them. He had shown them his true face and they hadn't even realised it until Descole threw on his cape. That small glimmer of truth was enough to blind them all.

Luke was about as skilled at lying as he was at keeping secrets. But what if he told Desmond part of the truth?

Angela and Henry must have found Randall by now, or they must have come very close to doing so. Desmond couldn't manipulate Randall if he was already home with his memories returned. Lastly, there was Aurora, but Luke could free her before Desmond had the chance.

Luke breathed out, put on a blank face and turned to Desmond. "I'm the oracle, aren't I?" Luke said.

"And I'm the spectre," Desmond replied, scathingly sarcastic. "Really, who told you?"

Luke hummed, long and hard. "I heard you talking to someone about it."

"Who? When—?"

"Awwwrk!" The parrot flew out of the pipe. He was scruffy and scrawnier than Luke remembered. (Did those scientists even feed their animals?)

The parrot perched on Luke's head and started pecking at his shiny bronze paint.

Sissel and Subject 3 slid out of the pipe.

"We found him building a nest in a closet," Sissel informed Luke.

Luke smiled up at the parrot. "What should we call you...?"

Sissel advised, "His name's Cabanela."

"Caaaaabanela," the parrot sang, preening himself.

"Um, why?" Luke asked.

"We can't keep calling him 'Subject 1'! That's not a name!"

Subject 3 tugged on Luke's sleeve and said, "I like Mr. Rabbit for me."

"Cabanela! Caaaaabanela!"

"Are you quite done?" Desmond thundered.

"Fine," Luke huffed. It seemed that 'Cabanela' had already stuck. (At least it was more original than 'Polly'...)

They set off down the tunnel again with the animals swarming around Luke.

Sissel returned to Luke's shoulder. Cabanela alternated between riding on Luke's head and flying on in front of them. Subject 3— Mr. Rabbit— kept tripping around Luke's feet.

At one point, the rabbit fell into the water face-first. As he jumped up, he exclaimed joyfully, "The water tastes like dirt!"

"You don't say?" Sissel quipped, glancing from him to the sewer water.

"I mean like... fresh dirt— from outside!"

Sissel sniffed the air. "Actually, now that you mention it— I can smell it too."

Sure enough, the stench of the sewer gave way to a damp earthy scent. The tunnel soon opened out onto a huge cavern with dirt walls. Light filtered through minuscule cracks in the ceiling, allowing them to gaze upon the metal monstrosity at the centre of the cavern.

Desmond titled his head back. "Is this our 'Mobile Fortress'?" he scoffed. "Pathetic."

The fortress was missing its legs, making it appear much smaller than it had been originally. It was about three quarters the size of the fully formed Detragon. Now, it just looked like a tower with a lot of gun turrets.

"Shhhh!" Luke hissed. "There could be people working down here..."

Mr. Rabbit lifted his ears and swivelled them around like a radar. "Nope, I can't hear anyone."

"Oh, that's good," Luke sighed. "Maybe they were evacuated too..."

Desmond turned to Sissel. "Go on then, cat. Tear that machine apart, or cause a cave in—"

"Hang on," Luke said. "We can't let the Family know we've been here!" If they blew up the fortress now, they risked blowing their whole cover. Luke still needed to locate his parents and evacuate the workers.

Luke proposed, "We have to shut it down from the inside. There must be a generator or something..."

"Do you have any idea where that would be?" Desmond asked dubiously.

"I don't know... At the heart of the fortress, maybe?"

Luke guided Desmond and his animal companions around the fortress. "Aha!" Luke spotted the door that he and the professor had originally used to enter the fortress. Thankfully, the base of the tower was now on ground level. (They wouldn't need a flying car to get in!)

The red light above the door was currently switched off. Luke inspected the puzzle lock on the door; there were six dials, each containing four different coloured gems. Hadn't the professor solved this one back in the day...?

Desmond volunteered, "Allow me—" but Luke had already rearranged the dials. With a smug smirk, Luke opened the door.

Desmond held his chin in his hand, hiding a smirk of his own. "I would have been quicker... but that was impressive, for someone your age."

They entered the fortress, their footsteps resounding off the metal flooring. Desmond couldn't conceal his fascination as he observed the machine. Sissel looked disinterested. Mr. Rabbit had wrapped himself around Luke's leg.

Cabanela flew over to the transport pod's door. "Squarrrk! Allow me!" He tapped on the door with his beak.

"Knock, knock..." Desmond began.

Preoccupied, Luke examined the pod's control panel. Nothing was showing on the green screen...

"Knock, knock!"

"Knock, knock," Cabanela copied Desmond. "Knock, knock—"

"Who's there?" Luke finally answered. The code for the number pad was burned into Luke's brain (123698710131415) from the amount of times he and the professor had taken the transport pod up and down the fortress. He jabbed the number buttons and waited.

"An electrician," Desmond replied.

"An electrician who?"

"An electrician," Desmond said flatly. "Your doorbell isn't working. No power."

"Oh..." Luke facepalmed. (That was what the red light outside was supposed to indicate.) "No power means no transport pod..."

"How do you know this is a transport pod?" Desmond inquired.

"Blueprints!" Luke evaded. "I saw them in the lab..." Desmond didn't seem to believe him.

Luke brought them back to the matter at hand. "Without the pod, I don't know how else we can travel around the fortress..." Luke glanced at the floor; the generator should be below them. He asked Desmond, "You wouldn't happen to have a blow torch, would you?"

Desmond searched through his coat in an exaggerated manner. "Not on my person, no."

Luke rolled his eyes. Desmond chided, "You're thinking like a child. Start thinking like an engineer."

"I'm confused," Sissel said.

"Confused," Cabanela agreed.

Luke's eyes widened. He recalled the scientists' complaints about the parrot playing with the wires. He saw Sissel messing with Clive's shoelaces.

"No!" Luke exclaimed, exuberant. "We need to think like an animal!"

Desmond and the animals gawked at him.

Sissel patted the metal floor with his paw. "I know less about this thing than I do about elevators..."

"H-how can we help?" Mr. Rabbit said.

"How?" Cabanela echoed as he landed on Luke's outstretched arm. Luke smiled at the three animals in turn.

"You need to tear, claw or nibble your way through any wires you can find. The smaller the better!"

Each animal was small enough to explore the fortress with relative ease and without leaving a trace. Clive would have no clue why his precious fortress was irreparable. (Maybe it would even self-destruct while he was inside...)

"I can't believe it,' Desmond said as he and Luke vacated the fortress fifteen minutes later. "Your animal obsession actually worked to our advantage." He paused as there was a shrill squeal from Mr. Rabbit.

"Are you ok up there?" Luke called.

Subject 3 wailed, "I tripped over a wire..."

Luke sighed. "Maybe that's enough for now... Come down, all of you."

Cabanela flew out of the fortress carrying Mr. Rabbit.

Sissel clambered down after them. He sat and licked his paw. "That fortress won't be mobile anytime soon."

"C-can we leave now?" Mr. Rabbit implored.

Luke nodded. "As soon as we find a way out..." He didn't fancy traipsing all the way back through the sewer tunnel... He surveyed the cavern.

There were those cracks in the ceiling. They were too small for Luke and Desmond to escape through, but their animal friends might fit.

Luke pointed from the parrot to the ceiling. "Cabanela, you can take Mr. Rabbit and escape up there."

"Cabanela, escape! Escape!" He grabbed Mr. Rabbit's ears with his talons.

Before he could fly off, Luke added, "There's just one more job we need your help with!"

"Help?"

"Can you deliver this message to everyone in the city?" Luke enunciated, "Party at the clock shop on Midland Road." Becky couldn't have told the entire city. This was their failsafe to ensure everyone got the message.

"Party at the clock shop," Cabanela announced, "Midland Road."

Luke beamed at him. "Perfect! Off you go, then!"

"Clock shop paaarty!"

"Bless you, human kit," Mr. Rabbit (formerly Subject 3) sniffled as he was hoisted up to the ceiling.

When they were high enough, Mr. Rabbit dug through a hole in the ceiling with his paws, letting in more light. He and Cabanela soared out to freedom.

As they were watching the pair leave, Luke heard a door open somewhere behind the fortress.

Luke breathed, "Please say that was you, Sissel—"

"I'm afraid not," Sissel answered. "Sounds like we've got company..."

Two voices were approaching them, chatting:

"...you imagine if this place had gone up in flames? The boss would have had our heads!"

"Zip it, will you? Someone could hear you..."

Luke, Desmond and Sissel darted behind the Mobile Fortress. Luke peeked out and saw two men— one was Luke's height and the other was taller— wearing lab coats. "Scientists," he mouthed to Desmond and Sissel.

"I'll take them out," Desmond offered.

"Don't you dare," Luke hissed. "These scientists aren't evil. Let me talk to them."

Desmond glowered at him. "These are people, not animals—"

"Still animals, technically," Sissel said.

The three of them stepped out from behind the fortress. Stopping in their tracks, the scientists stared at them.

Luke said, "Hi—"

The taller green-haired scientist raised his hands and started to back away. "W-who are you? How did you get down here?" he stammered, his buck teeth chattering.

Luke recognised him— he was one of the scientists who had originally helped the professor get through the facility. Luke spoke to him in a calming tone, as the professor had done. "My name's Luke. We're here to rescue you."

"But, why...?" Scratching his head, the taller scientist looked from Luke to Desmond.

"I couldn't care less." Desmond jabbed his thumb at Luke. "He's the one with an irritating moral compass."

"We don't have time for this," the short scientist puffed. He frowned at his colleague. "Come on, Horace. Let's get back to the grinder—"

"Were you told you had to finish a time machine to get home?" Luke asked.

"So," Desmond muttered, "they're that type of scientist..."

"We were, initially, but we've just been moved to a different research group," Horace said. He glared at the fortress. "Day and night, we've been working on this—"

"Don't worry, we've disabled the fortress," Luke dismissed.

"You WHAT?" the short scientist demanded.

"You don't have to work on it anymore," Luke assured them. "We'll get you home, if you could just help us escape from the lab."

Horace sucked on his teeth, lost in thought for a moment. Then he wondered, "Can... Can my boyfriend come with us? He works in construction... "

"Yes, of course!"

Relieved, Horace smiled down at his companion. "What do you say, Av'?"

"Nope." The short scientist turned on his heel and hared across the cavern.

"Av'? Avogadro, wait!"

"After him," Desmond growled, "before he gives us away!"

They gave chase. Sissel sent two stray wires flying after Avogadro, but he had already wretched open the door he and Horace must have used earlier. He dove through the door.

They pursued him through a narrow earthy passage.

"Does this lead back to the lab?" Luke gasped.

"No... " Horace panted. "Warehouse, outside... lab..."

They saw Avogadro reach the end of the passage. Then he was scrambling up a ladder, quicker than Luke's old squirrel friend, Kiki.

Desmond scaled the ladder first, followed by Horace, and Luke, with Sissel on his shoulder.

"Avogadro!" Horace hollered again, his voice causing an echo. The ladder seemed to be taking them through a large pipe.

Soon, Luke could see a ring of light above them. Avogadro disappeared through the light. Desmond shot after him like a bat out of hell.

There was a shout from Avagadro. Desmond, too, shouted. Both of them were struggling, by the sounds of it. Luke hoped Desmond hadn't fatally injured Avagadro.

Horace hauled himself up and out of the pipe. He helped Luke out. The warehouse they had arrived in had white walls and it was packed with crates.

"What...?" Horace spluttered when they found Avagadro and Desmond sprawled across the floor. Kneeling next to Avagadro, Horace tapped him on the face. "Av'..?"

Sissel inspected Desmond's body. Hovering beside him, Luke whispered, "He can't be—"

"Gotcha! "

Someone latched onto Luke's arm. Sissel reacted instantly— hissing, eyes flashing, hackles raised— but he relaxed when he saw Don Paolo was the one who had grabbed Luke.

Don Paolo was back to his regular size and devilish shape, having discarded his Luke-disguise. That meant...

"Did you get the memory-scanner?" Luke demanded. "Where are Mum, Dad and—"

"Your welcome for the rescue," Don Paolo snorted.

Luke gestured to Desmond. "He was helping us!"

"Oh... That's a shame. I chloroformed both of them— stole a load of it from the labs." Don Paolo nudged Desmond with his shoe. He glanced from Desmond to Sissel. "Cat! You, uh, might want to check they're still breathing…" Dragging Luke out of the warehouse, he declared, "I'll get the kid to safety!"

"Where exactly are my parents?" Luke repeated as Don Paolo pulled him to the right, away from the front gates and the eyes of the guards.

Don Paolo pressed his back against the red-brick wall. "Waiting for us beyond the bridge. "

That was a relief, but... "The memory-scanner?"

"...Still in the lab," Don Paolo grumbled, distracted. "I had to leave it to get your parents out... "

They shuffled along the wall until they encountered a black door with a numeric keypad. Don Paolo swiftly typed in the code: 271108.

"What?" he said when Luke frowned at him. "I can solve puzzles too, you know!"

The door clicked open. "Come on," Don Paolo snapped.

He took Luke through the facility; they checked the road was clear before scurrying across to the building where the time machine laboratory was based.

They weren't impeded by any Family members or scientists as they rushed through the lab's hallways. Infiltrating the lab with Don Paolo was almost… easy.

Too easy.

When he saw the vault-like door of Central Research, Luke vehemently tried to tear his arm out of Don Paolo's grasp. "Stop—!"

A hand clamped over Luke's mouth before he could call Sissel, Desmond or anyone for help.

Don Paolo kicked at the door, struggling to restrain Luke.

The door opened with a hiss. Don Paolo hauled Luke inside.

Dimitri Allen promptly shut the door before he turned to Luke. At this time, Dimitri had a few mousy brown hairs mixed in with the grey, and the dark bags around his eyes weren't so prominent. But the astute gleam in his eyes was the same.

"Not another decoy, I hope?" Dimitri hummed. Dimitri regarded Luke as if they had met before and he was already wary of Luke.

"Why don't you scan his memories and find out?" Don Paolo suggested.

Luke shook his head frantically.

"Just listen to him," Don Paolo told Luke, a pleading tone in his voice. "He's got a time machine in the works. He's going to save Claire! Hell— why not Melina and Layton too?"

Dimitri had pumped Don Paolo's head full of impossible dreams. Or was it Clive, making him false promises? (Why had they locked Don Paolo alone in a room with Clive back in St. Mystere?)

They wouldn't get inside Luke's head.

"Yes, we will save them," Dimitri asserted, smiling at Luke. "With your assistance. According to your mother's memories, you've seen the future— one possible future."

"I've only seen one timeline, but it's changed... and still changing."

For that instant, Luke regretted telling his family the truth.

"That's how you're always so prepared!" Don Paolo stated.

"Have you seen Claire in the future?" Dimitri wondered. "Does she survive?"

Don Paolo removed his hand from Luke's mouth. Luke kept his lips firmly sealed in a frown.

With a quick glance at the door, Don Paolo said, "Why don't we just knock him out?"

"My memory recorder won't work if the subject is unconscious. It would end up recording dreams instead." Dimitri looked intently at Luke. "Five minutes of your time, that's all I would need," he said softly. "If you help me, I'll see to it that you return home safely."

Home… Luke's eyes widened. He couldn't mean...?

"Your family, the workers, the scientists… everyone will be escorted back up to the surface."

Oh, he meant back to London — their London. Of course.

"That's what you wanted, right?" Don Paolo said.

The time machine hadn't worked in the past. It wouldn't work in the future. And it wouldn't work now.

But what if Luke's memories were added to the equation? If Dimitri was aware of Claire's molecular instability, could he be better prepared to help her before she was due to appear?

And if Dimitri perfected the time machine... Was there a chance he could send Luke back to his original timeline?

Could Luke go back?

Back to when the professor truly was alive, but he lived on the opposite side of the world?

Back to when Luke had left Arianna and Misthallery without so much as a second glance?

Back to when Emmy was no longer part of his life?

Back to when Luke thought he hated his dad?

Back to when Loosha, Melina, Aurora... and so many others were dead?

"I can't," Luke gasped. He couldn't just go back in time and erase all of the progress he had made here. This was his life now. He had to make the best of it.

Dimitri sighed. "Or, I could have our engineers switch off the oxygen supply to the underground cavern. It's your choice."

Luke took a gulping breath.

Was Dimitri bluffing, like when he had claimed there were bombs under the Thames Arms? If he wasn't... Luke didn't know if Sissel could save every person in the underground cavern at once. He didn't want to risk it.

Luke hung his head in defeat.

"We have a deal then," Dimitri said.

The memory-scanner was wired up to a computer on a desk. As Dimitri prepared the device, Don Paolo placed Luke in the desk chair and removed Luke's cap.

"Do you really trust them?" Luke mumbled to Don Paolo.

Don Paolo asked solemnly, "Have you ever been in an explosion, kid?" He moved aside and Dimitri handed the memory-scanner to Luke.

Shuddering, Luke put on the memory-scanner. Dimitri made some adjustments so the goggles would fit better over his eyes.

The professor (or rather, Don Paolo disguised as the professor) had described the memory-scanner as a television for one. Currently, all Luke could see were white screens.

Luke heard Dimitri walk away— back to his computer. "Show me Claire," Dimitri said.

Luke tried to keep a clear mind, as the professor had always taught him, but it was impossible. Images of Claire flooded his thoughts and came into focus before his eyes:

Claire striding past them in the street, Claire turning a corner, Claire helping them to escape from the lab, Claire meeting them at the Thames Arms, Claire offering to go with them to save Flora, Claire bursting into the Mobile Fortress, Claire joking about being a witch, Claire giving up her pocket watch to stop the generator, Claire leaping out of the Laytonmobile mid-flight, Claire helping the rescued Clive out of the car, Claire and Dimitri revealing the truth to Layton…

Claire kissing the professor goodbye, Claire's body glowing with light, Claire rounding the corner of the alley, Claire sending Luke one last smile before she faded from his sight…

"Where… I mean, when is this?" Don Paolo wondered in the background.

If Dimitri provided an answer, Luke was too absorbed in his memories to hear it.

...The professor crying quietly in the snow, Luke hugging him and asking if they could go home, Luke and Flora comforting him for the next few weeks, Luke packing all of his belongings at the professor's flat, Luke savouring his last meal with Flora and the professor, Flora crying and waving as the professor drove Luke to the harbour, Luke bursting into tears when he had to leave the professor...

Luke sailing with his parents to America, the three of them moving into their new house, Luke writing to the professor, Luke waiting for the professor's reply, Luke finally receiving his reply and reading it aloud, Luke fighting with his dad, Luke breaking the meteorite, Luke slamming the door on his parents and his old life—

The door was blown off its hinges. The lab door.

Luke bolted up in his seat. "Sissel!"

He heard Don Paolo swear.

"Why did I bother saving you?" That sounded like Sissel, but his voice had a rough undercurrent.

Luke ripped the memory-scanner off his face. He felt light-headed. He squinted as the dislodged door was hurled at Don Paolo.

Dimitri was still hunched over his computer, clicking the mouse furiously.

"Stop him!" Luke pointed dizzily at Dimitri. "And his computer!"

Sissel turned to Dimitri. Dimitri yelped as the mouse's wire coiled around his wrists. The computer screen suddenly shattered.

"Luke Triton!" Desmond charged into the room.

Dimitri was still hovering over the computer system. Desmond kneed him in the gut.

"You have the contraption?" Desmond checked with Luke. Nodding shakily, Luke lifted the memory-scanner.

Desmond grabbed Luke's arm and hauled him out of the room. Sissel ran on Luke's other side.

"Which way?" Desmond demanded as they raced past metal pod doors.

"Straight on—" Luke yelped when he saw the wall of Family members waiting for them at the end of the hall. "No— back! We need to go back—"

The Family were heavily armed, aiming at Desmond. They opened fire.

Though Luke knew Sissel could save them, that didn't stop him from screaming as the bullets flew towards them.

Clang, clang, clang...

Luke pried his eyes open. The bullets were hitting a metal door, erected in front of them.

"Thought you could use a shield!" Sissel grunted. "Run! I'll keep us covered!"

The door moved ahead of them as though it was propelled by a magnetic force. Luke, Desmond and Sissel ran after it.

The Family continued firing, turning frantic, until the door flew into them. Luke, Desmond and Sissel vaulted over the pile of bodies.

Luke counted the rooms they passed. Break room... Animal testing... Supply cupboard...

Front entrance!

They were out of the lab, but not out of the facility. Luke led Desmond and Sissel down the road.

Left, right...

There was the front gate, blocked by a dozen black-coated guards. Luke skidded to a halt, as did Desmond and Sissel.

"And just where do you think you're going?" It was the same guard who had allowed Slate and Hardy to enter through the gates earlier. He was wearing glasses and a short white top hat— not what Luke had expected from the authoritative tone of his voice.

Luke tightened his grip on the memory-scanner. The head guard noticed. He waved his finger at Luke, tutting. "Give it up, boy..."

As if Luke needed further incentive, the other guards readied their guns.

Luke glanced at Sissel. Was there anything they could use for a shield out here...?

"Let them go," a voice called behind Luke.

Dimitri! Luke turned to glare at him. He was clutching his stomach where Desmond had attacked him, but otherwise, he looked content.

"But... Sir?" the head guard exclaimed.

"In fact, you can let all of the staff go. Send them home. I have everything I need." Dimitri smiled, tired but triumphant.

"Did you only destroy the computer screen?" Desmond hissed at Sissel.

Luke's eyes widened. Had he... recorded all of Luke's memories in time?

Hesitantly, the guards obeyed Dimitri's instruction and opened the gates.

Desmond ushered Luke and Sissel through the gates. Sissel kept an eye on the guards in case any of them changed their minds.

There was a yell. "No, stop them!"

Dimitri grunted as Clive shoved past him. Clive was running towards the gate— towards Luke and the memory-scanner.

"I'm not finished with them!"

The guards grumbled to each other in confusion— would they listen to Clive over Dimitri?

Luke didn't want to find out. He barrelled through the gates with Desmond and Sissel.

The bridge was in sight. They reached the north bank.

Luke could see several figures standing on the other side of the bridge. His parents— Don Paolo really had gotten them out! They were waiting with Slate and Hardy.

They waved wildly to Luke. Waving back, Luke laughed. Desmond laughed along with him. They were on the bridge— then they were halfway across. A mile wasn't that long, when Luke thought about it— not when he was buzzing with adrenaline. What could Clive do, without his Mobile Fortress? What could Dimitri accomplish, without his memory-scanner?

They were free!

And then, the underground cavern quaked. Everyone was thrown off their feet. Luke dropped the memory-scanner.

Desmond was up first. He offered Luke a hand off the floor. Luke frantically assessed the damage.

The bridge— somehow— was still standing. Sissel was not. He had collapsed, several steps behind Luke. The memory-scanner was lying next to him.

"Sissel!" Luke rushed over to scoop him up. "What's wrong—?"

Clive had caught up with them. His gaze was fixed on the memory-scanner. His— their —one chance to save the professor.

"Leave it!" Desmond barked.

Still cradling Sissel in one arm, Luke made a dive for the memory-scanner. His determined expression mirrored Clive's.

Both he and Clive froze when they heard an enormous crack. Clive looked up the trench — to the east. Luke followed his gaze. If Clive was alarmed, then Luke was terrified.

Clive uttered, "The cistern—"

A wet road filled the underground cavern.

Higher than the wave from Misthallery's dam, with all the might of the Ambrosian sea, a wall of water was tearing through the trench.

Luke had lived around water for most of his life. He had learned to swim when he was six. But no one could swim through that. Luke didn't even think he could outrun it. He crushed Sissel against his chest.

Desmond grabbed Luke and bolted across the bridge. Gazing over Desmond's shoulder, Luke saw Clive claim the helmet. It didn't matter. All that mattered was escaping the tidal wave, near enough now to spray their faces.

"Sorry," Sissel mewled, too weak to save them. Luke sobbed. His parents, held back by Slate and Hardy, screamed.

As the bridge groaned and water flooded over Desmond's feet, Luke was flung through the air with Sissel.

Someone caught them and stumbled back from the bridge's edge. Luke couldn't tell if it was his dad or the professor or both.

He watched as the wave swallowed Desmond Sycamore. The bridge gave out. Everything on it was washed away— Desmond, Clive, the memory-scanner...

"...Luke? Luke! Look at me..."

"Dad?" Luke breathed, looking back at him.

"I'm here," Clark said firmly, locking his arms around Luke. "I'm..." He froze, horror and guilt washing over his features. He turned away from Luke, turned to Brenda. He screwed his eyes shut. He mumbled a name...

Finally, he released a desolate sigh and buried his face in Luke's hair. If he shed any tears, Luke was already too soaked to notice.

Brenda knelt beside them. Sissel stayed in Luke's arms, silent as the dead.

Sat in his dad's lap, with his mum hugging them from the side, Luke stared out at the raging river.