#now we don’t know much about the letter or why Luke sends for Layton (MY GUT SAYS ITS NOT ABOUT GUNMAN JOE BUT IDK) BUT

[detective-piplup]

i am SO hyped for new world of steam. not even bc Layton’s back, but because i am literally dying to actually analyse and compare the differences between LS and NWOS of Luke calling for Layton’s help. level 5 you should give me the game early so i can be So Normal

[fallen-feather1992]

Winding the Future - An Unwinding Future Oneshot

Hi guys! I decided to write a oneshot set in my Unwinding Future universe! I'm going to post the link to it on AO3, as well as post it here, under the cut! Here's the summary!

Summary: How exactly did the future become so bad? How did Hershel, Desmond, Flora, and Luke get captured, while Raymond managed to rescue Alfendi? What led to London’s downfall, and the rise of the Family? This is what originally happened, when Al and Future Luke did not go to the past to warn their future selves.

I suggest reading Professor Layton and the Unwinding Future first before reading this.

Alright, the story is under the cut. Or you can use the link to read it on AO3. Have fun!

Professor Layton frowned slightly as he entered his flat, twenty-minutes to one. He’d noticed, for the past two days, two people following him.

He was… worried, to say the least. Because of this, he cancelled his afternoon classes, planning on picking the kids up from school, just in case.

But until their school let out, he was trying to figure out all he could about those following him. Yesterday, it was a sweet, little old lady, but he wouldn’t put it past the possibility that it was someone in disguise.

The other person following him, who had been since the middle of the week, was less subtle. It was a man in a suit and sunglasses.

He sat at his desk in his home study, looking through notes on previous cases, trying to figure out who would follow him now, and why. He wasn’t able to get through much, however, before there was a knock on his door. He stood, dropping a bookmark into the book on his desk, before answering.

“Desmond?” he gasped, staring at the man.

“We don’t have much time. I know I’m ten minutes early, but if we’re going to deal with whatever’s going on, we need to do it now.” Desmond pushed Hershel further into the flat and closed the door behind them. Layton simply let him, shock rolling through his body.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Layton said, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

“Your letter? Friday, at one?” Desmond pulled the letter from his suit pocket, holding it up. “The second message in it?”

“Letter? But I didn’t send—I thought you were dead.”

Desmond froze, gaping at his younger brother.

“What?”

“The last time I saw you was at the ruins of the Azran Temple while it was falling apart…” Layton said, pulling the brim of his hat lower to cover his eyes.

“Hershel, I—”

BANG BANG BANG

Both men jumped and turned to the door, which shuddered in it’s frame. Desmond’s eyes widened at that.

“We don’t have any more time. Do you know what’s going on?” he demanded, backing away from the door. Hershel shook his head.

“No idea,” he said.

“Then I suggest—”

BAN-CRASH

The door slammed inwards, and three men forced their way into the flat, crowding the entrance hall. Hershel and Desmond quickly backed away.

“Boss says yous have to come with us,” the first man said, wearing a nasty grin.

“And who are you?” Hershel demanded, the anger only just contained to his voice at these men breaking into his home.

“You can call us… The Family.” The first man lunged forward. Desmond darted forward as well, jumping up and landing a wheelhouse kick on the man’s face. The man stumbled backwards into one of his companions, but the third managed to jump out of the way, grabbing Desmond by the back of his coat before he could land, and throwing him into the living room. Desmond hit the floor and slammed into the side of Hershel’s couch with a groan.

“Desmond!” Hershel yelled, before turning to face the men, the second having recovered. Both moved to grab him, but he jumped back, grabbing his coat rack and flinging it across their path as he moved, causing one of them to trip. Desmond let out a soft groan and started to push himself up, much to Hershel’s relief, but he knew they had to get out of there. He darted into the living room, dragging Desmond the rest of the way up and with him as he did so, and over to the window that faced the back alley, where the Laytonmobile was parked.

“Hershel?” Desmond muttered.

“Get to my car. I’m right behind you,” he said, pushing Desmond towards the window. He then turned to face three members of The Family, and his blood ran cold.

They had guns.

As the first lifted the gun towards them, Hershel dove towards an end table, grabbed the first thing his hand landed on (a rare puzzle box), and threw it at the man, distracting him from taking aim. The gun went off, the bullet striking the ceiling above Hershel, but it was enough time for him to dive out the window after Desmond. The two ran for Hershel’s car, and he tore out of the alleyway.

***

“Argh! Why are all the other kids at school so stupid!” Seven-year-old Alfendi trailed after Flora and Luke as they got off the bus, not too far from the Professor’s flat.

“Not everyone can be as smart as you, Al,” Flora giggled, glancing back at the boy she saw as a little brother.

“Still,” Alfendi huffed. “It’s almost like they try to be stupid.”

“I doubt that,” Luke said, shaking his head. “But maybe you should try to be nice to them? It’s what a true gentleman would do.”

Before Alfendi could respond, a hand grabbed his arm in a tight grip, yanking him backwards. He went to yell for help, to alert Luke and Flora who were in front of him, but a rough hand was pressed over his mouth.

“Alfendi?” Luke asked, glancing over his shoulder, just in time to see the young boy bite down as hard as he could on the hand covering his mouth. The man holding him yelped and released him. Alfendi tried to scramble away, but the man recovered and grabbed the back of his coat, yanking him back again, this time wrapping an arm around the squirming boy’s neck.

“Alfendi!” Luke gasped, while Flora covered her mouth in fear. “Let him go!” he yelled.

“Hmph. I don’t think we will. Especially not after the little brat bit me.” The man’s arm tightened slightly, and Alfendi’s eyes widened in fear. He grabbed at the arm, twisting and squirming, but was unable to get free.

Luke growled at that, flinging his satchel off of his arm, and launching himself at the man, surprising him enough he did let go of Alfendi for a second time.

“RUN!” he yelled at the other two as he punched and clawed at the man’s face. Flora grabbed Alfendi’s hand, and the two took off.

“Wh-where are we going?” Alfendi asked, blinking hard in an effort to not cry.

“Home! Hopefully the Professor is there,” Flora said. Alfendi nodded and glanced back, just in time to see the man yank Luke off of him and toss him to the ground. Luke gasped in pain, trying to push himself up as a van pulled up. Before the boy could react, a pair of arms reached out of the side door of the van and yanked him in.

“No…” Alfendi whispered, before narrowing his eyes, staring at the license plate and memorizing it.

He and Flora then whirled around a corner, getting to the street they lived on, and froze.

A few men, like the first one, milled around the flat, the door broken in. Another black van was parked outside.

“Flora… you don’t think…” Alfendi whispered, scared.

“I… I don’t know,” Flora whispered back.

Just then, more men spotted them. Flora tightened her grip on Alfendi’s hand, and ran in a different direction, pulling him along.

***

Hershel flew through the streets of London, glancing in his rearview mirror every now and again to make sure they weren’t being followed. He was trying to get to the school, to grab the kids, while also trying to figure out what to do. Desmond sat silently in the passenger seat, rubbing the side of his head, where he had smacked it when he’d been thrown.

“Who were those men…?” Desmond finally asked, looking over at Hershel.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen them before,” Hershel said, slowing to a stop at a red light.

“But in your letter, you encoded the word ‘trap’,” Desmond frowned. “You clearly knew something was going to happen today!”

Hershel frowned at the light turned green, and he started through the intersection. “Desmond, I did not send you--!”

CHRASH

The Laytonmobile skidded sideways as a black van plowed into the driver’s side. Hershel’s head slammed against the side with a sickening crack. Desmond fared better, being on the passenger side, and simply hung on until the vehicle came to a complete stop.

“Hershel?” he said, turning to the Professor, whos eyes were closed, breathing ragged. He reached over, grabbing the man’s shoulder, only to jerk back when Hershel flinched in pain. “Hershel, wake up! We need to go!” he said, looking through the window at the van, and the men getting out of it.

“Leave… me…”

Desmond’s head snapped down, and he looked at his brother. His eyes were slightly open.

“I can’t,” Desmond said, shaking his head. Before he could say another word, Hershel’s door was yanked open, metal squealing against metal, and two sets of hands were pulling the professor out roughly. Desmond scowled at that, ready to jump them, to protect his brother, but froze when they leveled a gun to the side of Layton’s head.

“Come quietly, and we won’t hurt him,” the man said. Desmond’s eyes flickered between him, the gun, and the semi-conscious Hershel, before he sighed, lowering his head, lifting his hands in surrender, and getting out of the ruined car.

***

Flora and Alfendi ran as hard as they could, but soon found themselves surrounded. The men closed in on them, boxing them into a corner.

“Flora…? What do we do?” Alfendi whimpered, his breathing quick and shallow. Flora glanced down at him, recognizing the signs that he was on the verge of a panic attacks.

“We stay calm, Alfendi. We try to keep a clear mind. Can you do that for me?” she asked. Alfendi hesitated, before nodding slightly. His eyes then widened.

“Flora!”

Just as he said it, a pair of arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side. Flora gasped, and struggled, but was no match for the man holding her.

“Boy, up here!” an accented voice suddenly called. He looked up, noticing the ladder to the fire escape they were under had been lowered, and threw himself at it, climbing as fast as he could. One of the men tried to grab him, but a flower pot dropped from above, landing square on the man’s face. Alfendi managed to get to the first landing.

“Don’t stop thar, lad. Keep climbing!” the voice barked from above.

“But Flora—”

“We’ll worry about her once you’re safe!”

Alfendi hesitated only a second more, before continuing to climb. Once he was at the top, the roof, he looked back to see the men watching him, and Flora was gone…

He turned to spot his savior, an elderly man with a hook nose, wearing a red suit.

“They… they took her… you said we’d save her too, but we’re too late!” Alfendi whimpered. The elderly man patted his shoulder.

“Now, now, lad. Please, calm down. We will save her, and the others. It just might take us some time,” he said softly.

“The others…? Wait! Luke and Dad? DAD was taken!?” Alfendi wrapped his arms around himself, trying not to give in to the panic that was filling his mind with static. “Who are you? Are you with them?”

“Of course not, lad. I’m… an acquaintance of the Professor’s. My name is Raymond.”