Professor Layton And The Bereft Monocle

Chapter 3: 'The Werewolf'

???: "Professor Sycamore! Mr. Bronev! Wake up!"
Desmond: "Huh...?"
Professor Sycamore slowly started opening his eyes, only to see Luke staring directly at him.
He jumped up and sat up straight, then looked at the clock next to him.
It was 10 pm, so it was officially nighttime.
Desmond: "Triton...? What's wrong?"
Luke: "The festival has started! The entrance to the woods will be open in a couple of hours!"
Desmond: "W-Wait, what?! Already?!"
Leon: "We slept through the entire day. Pity."
Desmond: "WE really slept through all of it...?"
Suddenly, Randall ran into the room with the others.
Randall: "Did you both sleep right through the day as well?!"
Leon and Desmond stared at him with messy hair and very tired looking eyes, giving him his answer.
Randall: "I'll take that as a yes..."
Henry: "Professor Sycamore, we need to investigate the area. Someone should know SOMETHING about the woods, or where Hershel has gone."
Desmond: "Yes, you're right... I'll be back in a few minutes..."
Randall: "Sycamore, wait!"
Desmond turned around and looked at him.
Desmond: "Yes?"
Randall: "W-We... Flora... Erm..."
Desmond: "Hm?"
Randall: "Flora, she..."
Desmond: "Don't tell me..."
Randall: "Y-Yeah... She lost the monocle."
Desmond facepalmed as he looked up in horror.
Desmond: "Oh... Don't worry, it's not her fault... There must a logical explanation behind this... We'll just go out and try and find it."
He rubbed his eyes as he grabbed his bag and went into the restroom.
Randall was surprised that Desmond wasn't mad. It was probably because Flora was his niece, so he held a soft spot for her.
Meanwhile, Leon put on his coat and waited at the door.
Angela: "Mr. Leon, do you want me to give you a comb?"
His hair was always messy and he didn't even care about it, so he didn't bother to brush it.
Leon: "Pfft... Why should I even bother brushing my hair? It's not like anyone is going to like me. I've earned a horrible name - taking care of myself means nothing."
Luke: "I... Mr. Leon..."
Randall: "I'm sure your two boys will love you again."
Leon: "Hm?"
Randall: "If you help Sycamore and Hershel, you'll be able to bond with them again! It might take a long time, but it'll be worth it in the end! But you won't be able to do that if you don't take care of yourself first!"
Leon looked at him and sighed sadly.
Leon: "I admire the way you're so optimistic and hopeful, Ascot... But that is simply impossible. After what I had done to them, they don't deserve a father like me. And even if I did change, I doubt that they'd ever take me back."
Randall: "But..."
With that, Leon looked outside of the window towards the huge castle which was located in the woods.
Leon: "My son is probably in that castle that we saw once we had entered Monchel."
Angela: "Probably... Oh, Hershel must be so scared up there on his own...!"
Alphonse: "So, they took him once he had one foot in the grave?! That's brutal! What do they want from him?!"
Henry: "Money and knowledge, I suppose."
Alphonse: "Are you serious, Henry?! They couldn't have just kidnapped him for MONEY AND KNOWLEDGE!"
Henry: "And how do you know that?"
Alphonse: "Because-! B-Because...! Grr-!"
Alphonse smacked his hand onto the table, almost breaking it.
Alphonse: "Fine! I may not be so sure about it but still! There must be more to this than finances!"
Henry: "Well, you're not wrong there. Master Randall, do I have your permission to leave for a moment?"
Randall: "Henry, you don't need to ask me! Please stop requesting things like this from me! Of course you can go!"
Henry smiled, then left the building calmly.
Angela: "Oh, Henry..."
Randall: "What's wrong, Angie?"
Angela: "It's just that... Henry has been so stressed with work... And... Now he has lost one of his old friends... He has been acting so weird lately... He has just been depressed and refuses to speak to me... I wonder what's going on in his mind..."
Randall frowned, but smiled again as he patted her back confidently.
Randall: "Don't worry! After we've found Hershel, we'll talk to them both! They'll both be alright in the end!"
Angela: "I really do hope so..."
As she said that, Desmond came out of the bathroom, and his hair was back to its normal state.
Desmond: "Forgive me for the long wait."
Randall: "It's fine, Sycamore. Come on, let's go outside."
Desmond: "Hm? Where's Mr. Ledore?"
Randall: "He left the building."
They all looked at each other with their faces slowly turning pale, realising what they had just let Henry do.
Randall: "I'm such an idiot, I let him leave the building without us! What if he goes into the woods?!"
Leon chuckled maliciously.
Leon: "That would make things VERY interesting."
Desmond: "Shut up, you old brat!"
Desmond grabbed his wrist and forced him out with the others as they ran outside.
Flora: "Woah!"
The entire village was lit up, with decorations and lights everywhere.
They could hear people playing classical music and could even smell the scent of desserts nearby.
Luke: "How are we going to find Mr. Ledore in this crowd?!"
Angela: "And what is he doing anyway...?"
Randall: "We need to split! Sycamore, Bronev, Triton, you go and question people about Hershel's disappearance and about the woods. Me and the others will go and look for Henry. We'll meet you all back here in an hour."
Leon: "Tch, since when did you become the leader, Ascot?"
Randall: "Ever since my two old friends went missing - Now go!"
Leon scoffed, looking away.
Leon: "Whatever. Let's go."
He started walking away with his arms crossed, while Desmond and Luke tried catching up to him.
Desmond: "Bronev, wait!"
Leon: "..."
Angela: "Randall, where do you think Henry could have gone?!"
Randall: "The only place I can think of is... The woods."
Angela: "B-But..."
Alphonse: "If that idiot really went to the woods, then he's going to get it!"
Flora: "Please calm down! I'm sure he's fine!"
Her encouraging words did not seem to be helping the situation, so Randall started running towards the woods.
He looked up at the castle and frowned at it, disgusted.
Randall: "So that's where Edward and Dejected Miracle are. And Hershel is... With them?"
Angela: "He must be terrified..."
Alphonse: "I highly doubt that. He's brave, he'll manage until we find him!"
Randall: "No, he won't manage!"
Angela and Alphonse looked at him in shock.
Randall flinched before trying to make his point.
Randall: "I-I know that sounded bad! But-! He has been through so much and has reached rock bottom because of us! He must think that nobody is coming to save him, so he probably won't even bother to even TRY and get out!"
He clenched his fist, which stopped him from tearing up.
Randall: "He has given up! And it's mainly our fault! We're his only hope and he doesn't even know that!"
He was breathing heavily, but took a deep breath and calmed down.
Randall: "Sorry about that..."
Angela: "No, Randall... It's fine! We understand why you're mad... But one thing I do know is that Hershel would not give up in this situation. He would never let the enemy take what they want from him."
Randall: "Yes, you're right... We know him, he wouldn't do that..."
Alphonse: "Anyways - Back to the other main subject. Where's Henry?"
Randall: "Oh, shit... Now we've got two members of the group to worry about...!"
Flora: "I'm sure he's nearby... After all, Monchel is a pretty small village."
Henry: "Looking for me?"
They all gasped and turned around.
Henry was standing there, completely calm and messing with his left pocket.
Henry: "Hm?"
Randall: "Henry!"
Alphonse: "Where the hell were you?!"
Henry: "Once we had arrived to Monchel, something had caught my eye immediately once I had stepped out of the train."
Randall: "What was it?!"
Henry smiled, taking something out of the pocket he was messing with.
He opened his hand to reveal the monocle Flora had previously lost.
Flora: "The monocle?!"
Henry: "Just as I had suspected."
Angela: "But why didn't you tell us earlier?!"
Henry: "I didn't want to get your hopes up. Forgive me..."
Randall: "It's alright, Henry! This is good! We have found both you and the lost monocle!"
Henry: "We need to be extremely careful with this monocle. Master Randall, I would like to request YOU keep hold of it."
Randall: "O-Oh, sure!"
Henry gave the monocle to Randall, then smiled.
Henry: "So, where are the others-?"
Luke: "Here!"
Henry: "Hm?"
They turned around and saw Desmond, Leon and Luke standing behind them.
Desmond: "We saw Henry and followed him. Turns out he returned to you, and gladly he found the monocle."
Henry smiled, then looked at the castle.
Henry: "So he's up there?"
Randall: "Unfortunately... We need to save him or else he..."
Randall shivered at the thought.
Desmond: "Tonight, we set off to find my brother in the cursed woods of Monchel."
Randall: "Yeah..."
Desmond: "Are you alright, Ascot?"
Randall: "Yeah..."
Suddenly, they heard a gasp.
???: "W-Wait-! Wh-What?!"
Desmond: "Hm?"
He saw a young lady, with completely golden and gold hair. She was slim, and slightly taller than Angela.
???: "You can't go there! It's too dangerous!"
Desmond: "Miss...?"
???: "Oh, forgive me for the rude introduction... My name is Melody."
Desmond: "A pleasure to meet you. I am Desmond Sycamore. I need to get in the castle in the cursed woods... My brother is up there."
Melody: "He is- What?! Oh, I told those two not to do anything rash!"
Randall: "Miss Melody, what are you talking about?"
Melody: "N-Nothing... Please... Don't go up there... You won't survive."
Desmond: "I must risk it! My brother is in danger!"
Melody: "Who's your brother...?"
Desmond: "Have you heard of Professor Layton?"
Melody: "Professor... Layton...?"
Randall: "Yes! He became youngest Professor at age 27! He is famous for his discoveries!"
Melody: "Professor Layton is up there again?! Oh god, what has he done now...?!"
Desmond: "Forgive me...? But... What has my brother got to do with all of this?"
Angela: "Miss Melody, please explain... We're worried..."
Melody felt trapped, so she took a step back.
Melody: "No... No...! Oh, no, no, no...! This is bad...!"
Randall: "Melody... Please..."
Melody: "I can't say... I'm sorry... But you can't go...!"
Henry: "If it's that werewolf you're worried about... Well, there is nothing to be worried about. We'll handle it."
Melody: "Mh...! Werewolf...! That's right...!"
Leon: "This is getting ridiculous. Just spit it out already!"
Melody burst out crying, then pointed at Leon.
Melody: "Professor Layton IS the werewolf! He got cursed after entering the woods for one of his discoveries!"
Randall: "What?!"
Angela: "But... But that's impossible! You must be mistaken! You CAN'T leave the woods when the boarder around it is still up!"
Melody: "That's because it wasn't up! He entered during a blood moon!"
Everyone started getting worried. Although Leon tried hiding it, he was looking away and sweating nervously.
Randall: "Please, Miss Melody, I beg you! Explain what had happened!"
Melody: "A few years ago, he had just finished the mystery about the Azran Legacy, so he moved onto something else. He discovered 'The Cursed Woods of Monchel' and how terrifying it was to a normal human being. He went all alone, with absolutely no one to stop him, since he hadn't told anyone he was going... I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't listen, and just entered as if it was plain sailing... I was astonished when I saw him get out the next morning as if nothing had happened, and he stayed over for a few days to rest... But one night, it was another blood moon and he came back, and then I saw with my own two eyes that he... H-He...!"
Tears started rolling down her eyes as she was trembling.
Angela: "N-No... So, all of this time... He has been the Werewolf this whole time?!"
Melody: "Y-Yes... These kinds of werewolves only turn into their true forms during blood moons, not full moons like in fairy tails... And they're a lot stronger than you think..."
Randall clenched his fist in fury.
Randall: "Hershel is smart... He's one of my oldest and dearest friends, I know him... But oh, that stupid man...!"
Desmod: "What time is it?!"
Henry: "Twenty past eleven."
Melody: "We better leave... They're going to start setting everything up to catch the Professor. Every time there is a blood moon, Edward and the Dejected Miracle pass through here with their horses and go somewhere unknown, and afterwards the werewolf comes out..."
Desmond: "Thank you, Melody. This information is more than helpful. Be safe."
Melody: "Thank you... You too..."
She walked away in a hurry.
Leon: "I'm going to fucking kill them..."
Desmond: "Calm down, Bronev. I thought you didn't even care."
Leon: "Oh, I don't. I just want to fit in with you guys."
Desmond scoffed, looking at Randall.
He was shaking while looking at the ground, with fog covering his glasses.
Randall: "I need to get in... I need to talk to them... I need to get Hershel back!"
He started running to the entrance of the woods, but Henry and Angela held him back.
Angela: "Are you crazy?! Randall, you can't just get in! That's suicide!"
Randall: "I don't care! Our old friend is in there suffering!"
Henry: "You won't stand a chance against him, Master Randall! He'll be too strong for you, you heard Melody!"
Randall: "He'll... No! We're his old friends. Surely he will recognise us and will have a soft spot for us... Hershel would never hurt anyone, never!"
Angela: "But what if he does hurt us?! Randall, we need to think before acting! We know you're worried about him, we are worried sick as well! But this isn't the way!"
Randall looked at her, then smiled nervously, realising that was just being an idiot.
Randall: "Y-Yeah... I'm sorry... Let's just go for now..."
Leon: "That girl is hiding something from us."
Desmond: "We know, but... We should just ignore it for now. We have already got enough information."
???: "Ladies and gentlemen, please step away as far as possible from the cursed woods! The festival is about to begin!"
Angela: "We need to go..."
Leon: "Hold on!"
They all stopped and looked at Leon.
He actually looked like he was in complete distress, and he then pointed at the woods.
Leon: "You're trying to tell me that my one of my two sons, my YOUNGEST son, is going to be coming out of these damn woods as a werewolf?! And we're his meal?! Absolute rubbish! I don't buy it for a second!"
Desmond: "Bronev, I understand that you're confused. If what Melody said really is true, then we have got no choice but to find a way to bring him back and find a away to break the curse."
Leon: "No! My son is NOT a werewolf! He is pure human! You both are! I will never accept the fact that he's such a creature!"
Desmond sighed sadly as he continued walking towards the festival. The others followed.
Suddenly, Flora clung herself onto Leon feeling slightly shaken about something.
Leon: "Hm? What's wrong, granddaughter?"
Flora: "Do you think that papa Hershel is actually... A werewolf?"
Desmond was staring at them from behind suspiciously, watching what Bronev's next move would be.
To his surprise, however, Leon had picked Flora up and smiled warmly at her. She started crying on his shoulder in total despair, so he patted her head, trying desperately to calm her down.
Leon: "It's alright, granddaughter... I promise that everything is going to be okay in the end. You're father will be fine."
Flora: "Are you sure...?"
Leon: "Of course."
Desmond: "It seems like you've got a soft spot for your granddaughter, hm?"
Leon: "No! She just needs comforting and someone needs to do it!"
Flora: "I feel dizzy..."
Leon shot his eyes towards her and patted her head again.
Leon: "When was it the last time you ate...?"
Flora: "Yesterday... I didn't have time to today."
Leon: "That is absolutely unacceptable! Come on, let's sit down and eat somewhere. You don't want to be getting wrinkles from stress at such a young age, now do you? Look at what happened to me!"
They both started laughing at the joke happily. Desmond's jaw had almost hit the ground by seeing THE Leon Bronev actually showing affection to his family.
Desmond: "So you DO have a soft spot! You're just too shy to show it!"
Leon: "That is ridiculous, smartass. I don't have any soft spots for anyone. Now let's go! I'm fucking starving."
Desmond: "Fine, fine. I suppose we haven't eaten in a while. Come on."
They sat outside of a restaurant where the woods could still be viewed and ordered what they wanted.
Randall: "I feel so disrespectful eating this..."
Henry: "Why, Master Randall?"
Randall: "Because-! Hershel is up there all alone! It's a blood moon and there's a myth going around that he's going to turn into a werewolf! He must be so worried that we're going to find out his secret! He's in there probably starving and terrified and we're over here eating!"
Angela: "Randall!"
Angela patted Randall's back.
Angela: "Hershel will be fine! I know he will, he's strong! And we haven't eaten all day! If we don't, we won't have enough energy to fight him if he DOES actually-!"
She stopped and looked away, realising that was she said was true.
Angela: "... Turn into a werewolf..."
Randall: "Y-Yeah... You're right... I'm just worried about him..."
Alphonse: "We all are, Randall. But worrying is only going to make things worse, so stay calm!"
Randall smiled sadly, listening to the people playing music happily with their acordeons.
He looked down as he covered his face and rubbed his eyes.
Randall: "If only I hadn't hurt him... He would have come to us for help...! Then none of this would have happened...!"
Henry: "It's not your fault, Master Randall. It was all just a huge misunderstanding. Even if Hershel is mad at us about hurting him in our own ways in the past, I'm sure he still cares about us somewhere in his heart."
Randall: "Yeah... Yeah, you're right! Thank you, Henry."
Henry: "No worries, Master Randall."
About twenty minutes later, their food had arrived and the immediately dug in.
Leon: "My boy, you're quiet."
Desmond: "Hm...? No, no, it's fine."
Leon: "Come on, tell me what's wrong, son."
Desmond: "You already know what's wrong."
Leon: "Oh... Your brother. Oh, please. I'm sure he's fine."
He smiled mischievously as he ate his food.
Leon: "Besides... If something DID happen to him, that would make this mystery a LOT more interesting."
Desmond stopped what he was doing once Leon had said that. He smacked his hand onto the table, making everyone jump.
Randall: "Sycamore-?"
Desmond: "You brat! You WANT the Professor to get hurt, don't you?! What did he do to you?!"
Angela: "Please, calm down-!"
Desmond: "No! Besides, it's mostly that Ascot's fault! He's the one who got the Professor involved into the Azran Legacy in the first place! I didn't want him to get involved! If I did, I would have kept him instead of let him be adopted by the Layton family!"
Randall: "Hey, why are you blaming me for this?!"
Desmond: "Why?! You know why! This is partially your fault! If you had just kept your mouth shut, then he wouldn't have reached the point where he couldn't even get out of bed!"
Randall: "Well, if you had just stepped up as an older brother and brought me back without lying to me or tricking me, then I'm sure that Hershel would have loved you to bits for it!"
Desmond stared at him, guilty.
Randall: "But no! You just had to do all of these terrible things to him! I know everything! Hershel told me himself when he visited Monte D'or last year!"
Desmond: "He... He told you, huh..."
Randall: "Exactly! I knew you were Descole right from the start of this chaos! Honestly, I don't know why Hershel even bothered to worry about you when you got hurt while saving poor Luke here!"
Luke flinched as Desmond and him stared at each other.
Randall: "Oh, yeah, that's right... Hershel is too warm-hearted. He cares about everyone. Even with me when I was about to fall. I did something awful to him, but he still wanted to save me! He even cared about you, Sycamore, even when he didn't know you were brothers! You just manipulated him over and over again, and hurt his friends AND FAMILY on the way! Yet he still cared about you!"
Desmond started tearing up, then looked away.
Desmond: "Stop...! Talking...!"
Randall: "No! This is ALL your fault, Sycamore! He just wanted his family and friends back with him! He just wanted someone to love him! But you ruined everything for him, Sycamore! Congratulations! I hope you got what you wanted!"
Desmond: "I SAID STOP TALKING!"
All of a sudden, Desmond launched to Randall and stood him up while holding the collar of his shirt and brought to the wall.
He was sobbing, willing to punch Randall, but he couldn't no matter how much he wanted.
Randall was grinning, but was absolutely terrified deep down.
Randall: "Hah...! Are you feeling the guilt of hurting Hershel, Sycamore...?! Because I certainly do...! And by looking at your tears, I'm sure you do as well...!"
Desmond: "SHUT UP, YOU IGNORANT LITTLE-!"
Desmond clenched his fist, pulling himself together again.
Desmond: "I JUST WANT MY BROTHER BACK! I JUST WANT TO APOLOGISE TO HIM! I WANT HIM TO FORGIVE ME! HE HAS ALREADY FORGIVEN YOU, AND NOW IT'S MY TURN!"
Randall: "You're right...! Hershel would forgive you...! But he's too naive and innocent when it comes to people hurting him...! So I won't allow him to love you...!"
Desmond let him go, then covered his mouth while tears were rolling down his face.
Randall stared at him without emotion, not feeling any pity for him.
Randall: "You deserve this, Sycamore. Admit it, Hershel is too good to forgive someone as pathetic as you."
Desmond: "You...!"
Without a second thought, Randall sat back and continued eating as everyone from the festival stared at them.
Leon: "My boy, sit down."
Desmond, wiping his tears: "Gr...! Fine!"
He sat down and continued eating, completely lost in his thoughts.
Angela: "Randall, what was that for...?!"
Randall: "Leave him be. He deserves it. If he hadn't lied to me or tricked me and just brought me back safely, then I'm sure we would be the first people Hershel would have come to for help."
Henry: "Master Randall, I suggest you apologise to Professor Sycamore, otherwise he will be like this for quite a long time."
Randall looked at crying Sycamore, then back at Henry.
Randall: "Ugh, fine... But ONLY because he'll come in useful!"
He got up and went to Desmond, then patted his back.
Randall: "Listen, Sycamore, I'm sorry for saying those awful things. I'm sure Hershel will forgive you and take you back, that's the kind of person he is."
Desmond didn't say anything, and didn't even bother looking at Randall. However, he stopped crying, and just sulked while eating.
Randall felt awkward, so he laughed nervously and sat back down.
Randall: "Well, at least I made him stop crying."
Leon noticed that everyone was staring at them, so he got up and started shouting.
Leon: "What are you all staring at?! Continue your pathetic little festival and leave my son alone!"
Leon looked intimidating, so they all did what he had ordered.
Desmond looked at him, then chuckled.
Desmond: "So you do have a heart beating in there somewhere, huh...? That's nice of hear."
Leon: "Wh-What? Hell no! I don't care about if they're staring at you or not! I just felt uncomfortable!"
Desmond: "Sure you did..."
Leon rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms and looked around.
???: "Ladies and gentlemen, it will be midnight in exactly two minutes!"
Randall dropped his fork, remembering what Melody had said.
Randall: "Midnight...? In two minutes?! Hershel will come out in two minutes as a-?!"
Flora: "Mr. Ascot, please remain calm! I'm sure the Professor will recognise us and stop what he's doing!"
Randall: "Y-Yeah... Yeah! Everything will be just fine, I'm sure of it!"
Desmond placed the money for the food down, then got his notebook and pen down as he looked towards the entrance of the woods.
Leon: "My boy, what are you doing?"
Desmond: "Taking notes. I have to remember everything somehow."
Angela: "I feel awful for Hershel... My word, I'm a terrible friend for not noticing sooner..."
Randall: "So... That time when Hershel came to Monte D'or... He was a werewolf...?! That's why he said he didn't want to come on a blood moon...?!"
Flora: "He... Told you that...? But wouldn't that be suspicious?!"
Randall: "I didn't find it suspicious at all at the time... He said that he wanted to spend that blood moon with you, Flora... Because YOU wanted to. Now I just realised that he was lying... He didn't want us to see him in such an awful situation... And even if he did, I bet he would feel awful if he did anything to Monte D'or."
Angela: "That's the one bad thing about Hershel... He cares about other people more than he cares about himself. He has risked his life multiple times just to save us... And we gave him nothing but hurt in return...! We're disgusting...!"
She slowly started tearing up, shaking.
Henry smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek, calming her down.
Henry: "Don't worry, dear. After this, he'll talk to us, and we'll finally be able to make him truly hap-"
Suddenly, there was a loud and aggressive howl coming from within the woods, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
Randall: "Was that-?!"
Alphonse: "HERSHEL?!"
???: "IT'S COMING! THE WEREWOLF IS COMING! MAKE NOISE AND MAKE THE LIGHTS BRIGHTER! LURE THE BEAST TO US!"
Leon: "They're going to try and catch my son...?"
Desmond: "I won't let that happen!"
Randall: "We need to get Hershel before they get to him!"
Angela: "What do we do?!"
There was another howl, only this time it was even closer.
Henry: "He's... Coming..."
Everyone suddenly started screaming as a huge wolf came out of the woods, making the group jump out of their seats.
???: "IT'S HERE! THE WEREWOLF IS HERE!"
Desmond: "My word...!"
Angela: "HERSHEL?!"
The Werewolf growled at everyone as it looked around.
There was a thick, wooly orange cloth on it, attached to its fur, making Flora scream.
Flora: "MY FATHER'S SWEATER! THAT'S FROM MY FATHER'S SWEATER!"
Desmond: "WHAT?!"
Leon: "So, it really IS him?"
The people tried catching the wolf, but failed miserably as it ran into the festival.
Henry: "Hershel, stop!"
Without giving a second thought, Randall jumped in front of Hershel, trembling.
Randall: "H-Hershel...? Hersh...?"
The wolf stopped and looked at his old friend, so Randall smiled warmly at him.
Randall: "Remember me...? I know you're in there somewhere..."
Angela: "RANDALL, GET AWAY! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!"
Randall: "No! Hershel isn't dangerous!"
He looked back at the Werewolf.
Randall: "Please tell me you remember me... I know what happened to you and I'm truly sorry...! Just let me help you...!"
Desmond sneaked up to them both, then grabbed the orange cloth as he stepped away.
The wolf growled at him and got his claws out, making Sycamore flinch.
Randall: "SYCAMORE, WATCH OUT!"
He covered his entire body and closed his eyes as Hershel tried scratching him, only to not feel anything.
He opened his eyes again and saw Leon infront of him, fighting Hershel.
Leon: "GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, BOY...! HNGH...!"
Desmond: "BRONEV!"
Leon: "RUN, STUPID BOY, DON'T STARE...! I CAN'T HOLD HIM MUCH LONGER!"
Desmond nodded as he ran back to the others with Randall, trembling.
Leon punched the wolf, then pushed it to the ground as he held it down.
Randall: "WAIT, BRONEV, DON'T HURT HIM! EVEN IF HE'S DANGEROUS, HE'S STILL OUR HERSHEL!"
The wolf kept whining from Leon's punches, so Alphonse, Henry and Randall needed to drag Bronev away.
Angela rushed to the wolf and looked at it, frowning.
Angela: "He's badly hurt!"
Leon: "Shit... I didn't mean to do it that badly..."
Desmond: "You just did it to protect us, but just be more gentle next time, alright?"
Leon: "Yeah, I know..."
Desmond smiled at him, making Leon realise he was starting to care about his children.
Leon: "A-Anyway! We need to heal him before-! Huh?!"
The wolf howled, making everyone start running for their lives, and it started running back into the woods.
Randall: "NO! HERSHEL, WAIT!"
Without even giving it a thought, Randall followed Hershel to wherever he was going.
Angela: "Randall!"
Desmond: "Gh...! Hang on!"
They all started following the werewolf back into the woods, not even wary of anything that was around them.
Eventually, they completely lost him and looked around them.
Leon: "Great. We followed Layton the Werewolf in some cursed woods and what we achieved is getting lost IN the woods."
Angela: "I can't believe it... That was really... Hershel?!"
Desmond: "It appears so..."
Randall shook his head in tears.
Randall: "No...! No, it's not! That can't be him! He would never hurt anyone!"
He took out the orange ripped sweater from before.
Desmond: "This is from my brother's sweater. I bet it ripped off during the transformation and got stuck on his fur."
Flora looked at it, then gasped.
Flora: "It really is Papa's...! So Melody really wasn't lying!"
Randall: "Hershel is a... Werewolf? He really, truly is a werewolf?!"
Randall shivered, then started running again.
Randall: "HERSHEL! COME BACK!"
Henry: "Master Randall, stop! You're going to get hurt if you're not careful!"
Henry started running after him in a hurry while Angela and Alphonse followed from behind.
Desmond took out his notebook and ran as he was writing in it, while Leon was carrying both of the children.
Eventually, they arrived at the castle they had previously seen back in the village, and it was even creepier up close.
Desmond: "Edward and the Dejected Miracle...! Are in there...! We need...! To enter...!"
They were panting from exhaustion, slowly walking towards the main entrance, but stopped when Leon pushed them back.
Leon: "Wait-! I can hear guards."
They turned to where the noises were coming from and there were indeed to two guards protecting the main door of the castle.
They were completely covered with black liquid, and their eyes and mouth were glowing in a blood-looking colour. They also had huge black wings with the same black liquid on them, as well as holes inside of them.
Randall: "What are those things...?!"
Desmond: "I wish I knew..."
???: "Do you think the mortals will come?"
???: "If they do, they'll die. If they don't, then that'll most likely break Prince Hershel's heart. You know how King Edward is like when it comes to his precious miracle getting hurt, he'll have to keep him hostage in here until he finally calms down."
Angela gasped.
Angela: "They're going to brainwash Hershel and turn him into a Prince?!"
Henry grabbed her and brought her back, shushing her.
Without hesitation, Randall snatched the orange piece of sweater out of Flora's hand and threw it where the guard's could see.
???: "What the-?!"
???: "Who's there?!"
The one guard went to pick it up, while the other ran away to investigate the area.
Desmond: "Quick...!"
Leon: "Get in. I've got a little job to do."
Randall: "Hm?"
Leon slowly sneaked up to the one guard with the sweater, then put his hand on his mouth to stop him from talking, and snapped his neck.
Desmond: "B-BRO-!"
Randall quickly shut Desmond's mouth, both in pure horror.
Leon turning around with the corpse: "What?"
He took a good look at the monster and gagged.
Leon: "Disgusting. This disgusting liquid is all over my hands!"
Randall: "Bronev, do you know what this THING is?!"
Leon: "Not at all. Disturbing, however. So you know it's serious when Targent himself says it."
They all stared at him, until he had finally decided to break the ice.
Leon: "Anyways, what? What are you staring at? Get in!"
They got up and did as he had ordered, so he dropped the corpse and followed them.
He had shut the doors the behind him and they could hear classic music playing. It was peaceful, but they knew it meant nothing.
Angela: "Is there... A party going on here?"
Henry: "It appears so... I bet that's where Edward and the Dejected Miracle are hidi-"
Flora: "B-BUTLER!"
Henry: "Huh?"
They turned around, only to see Flora pointing at the butler they had previously seen on the train.
Randall: "You! Of course you would be here! I demand you to tell me what you've done to Hershel!"
???: "We've been expecting you. Come. Master Edward and the Dejected Miracle want to talk to you."
Desmond: "That can wait!"
???: "Hm? Pardon?"
Desmond: "Who are you exactly?! What's your name?! Was that Werewolf out there really my little brother?!"
???: "Hm..."
He smiled as he looked at Professor Sycamore.
Cromwell: "My name is Cromwell. I am the family butler. I have been serving the Miracle family for over five thousand years."
He chuckled as he held a tray with two glasses of red wine on it.
Cromwell: "I must say. I'm even surprised you made it passed the Werewolf in one piece. Didn't he see you?"
Leon: "He fucking did! I had to beat the shit out of my own son because I had to protect the other one from being eaten alive!"
Cromwell: "Well, I expect no less from the leader of the Targent Organisation. Now please, follow me. I simply can't afford Master Edward's and the Dejected Miracle's wine to be kept at room temperature any longer, just because clueless mortals are speaking to me."
Randall: "Clueless mortals-!? How dare you-! What even ARE you?!"
Cromwell didn't say anything, and just kept on walking.
The team followed, but kept a good distance away from him in case of emergency.
He eventually stopped at a huge door in front of him, then turned around.
Cromwell: "There are many surprises waiting ahead. Professor Sycamore, your younger brother is not who everyone thinks he is. So be prepared."
Desmond: "What?! What are you talking about?! What have you done to him?!"
He stood still, staring at Desmond.
Desmond: "ANSWER ME! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER, YOU IGNORANT LITTLE-!"
Cromwell: "Language, Professor Sycamore... Tsk, tsk. Layton must feel ashamed to have you as his brother."
Professor Sycamore gasped, as if he felt something crushing his heart. He shook his head and grabbed the butler's shirt, then lifted him up.
Desmond: "SHUT UP! NEVER SAY THAT EVER AGAIN, YOU IGNORANT SLUT!"
Cromwell didn't feel threatened at all. In fact, he thought of Desmond as a pathetic man trying to get in his way.
He pushed him away, then put his hands on both doorknobs.
Cromwell: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Royal Porstow's Castle!"
Flora: "This creepy place in the woods is called Royal Porstow...? A rather posh name for a tiny kingdom like this..."
The butler smiled, opening the doors.
He grabbed his tray and headed inside, without anyone interrupting him.
Randall was the first one to run inside, and gasped by the shining lights.
The rest of the team followed, shocked by the condition of the entire room.
Everything looked beautiful and rich. There were presumably first-classed people dancing, with pretty flowers on the walls.
There were stairs leading up to two red and real gold thrones, with two huge paintings above them.
The painting on the top showed a man, supposedly the King of Royal Porstow. He had black, posh hair in a spiral ponytail, with red roses holding it together, and completely pale skin, with yellow vicious eyes.
Unfortunately, the other painting next to it was covered with a cloth, so they couldn't identify the person behind him.
Randall: "That man...! That must be Edward!"
Leon: "And the other whose face is covered in the painting must be the Dejected Miracle... But why must HE hide his identity while Edward doesn't...?"
Angela: "Do you think we...? Do you think we know the Dejected Miracle? Maybe he's someone we know?"
Desmond: "That is a possibility... But who could it be...?"
They thought about it for a second, then looked at each other.
Randall: "No! No... No, he wouldn't do that... He's the victim here! Don't any of you dare blame him!"
Desmond: "We're not for now. We could be wrong. They're probably trying to make Layton look like the bad guy, so let's not jump into conclusions that easily."
Leon: "Hm..."
Leon started walking up the stairs, making the team run after him.
Desmond: "Bronev! What are you doing?! You can't just-!"
Leon: "Shush!"
Desmond: "-?!"
Leon pointed towards the balcony, and there they were.
Randall: "Edward... And the Dejected... Miracle...?!"
Leon: "Just as I had suspected."
They were both laughing while dancing to the blood moon. They genuinely seemed happy together.
"How did you know they were here?" Desmond asked.
"No reason." Leon answered. "It was just a hunch."
Professor Sycamore looked at him suspiciously, then turned back to his enemies.
He and Randall walked over to them, grabbing their attention.
"You two-! You two are the ones who hurt Hershel, aren't you?!" he yelled. "Did you think you could get away so easily?!"
Randall tried sounding intimidating. He wasn't intending on having a nice conversation with the people who had kidnapped one of his old, most dear friends.
The man with the yellow eyes, supposedly Edward Miracle, smiled maliciously and looked at the man next to him.
Edward: "Oh! My miracle, are these your friends?"
The Dejected Miracle looked at Randall from head to toe. Even though he was wearing a mask, they could tell that he had a disgusted expression on his face.
Dejected Miracle: "Eugh... Randall Ascot, I presume. I know you. You're the idiotic farmer from Monte D'or, aren't you?"
Randall gasped at the man's insult.
Desmond: "You are keeping my brother hostage. Where is "
Dejected Miracle: "Five years have past, why do you want your brother? Money, I bet?"
The Dejected Miracle was wearing a mask - The Mask Of Chaos, to be exact. He had a French accent, making it even more difficult to understand him. He was also wearing a brown top hat, a brown coat and brown pants. On the inside of his coat was a gray shirt, with a red expensive looking jewel on it.
Randall: "You two-! What have you done to Hershel, you brats?!"
Edward: "My, my... This simply won't do! Language, peasant! This place isn't for using that horrible language of yours!"
Desmond: "You will tell me exactly where he is! I just want him back, for goodness sake!"
Dejected Miracle: "You... Want your brother back...?"
Desmond: "I'll do anything...!"
Edward and the Dejected Miracle looked at each other, it was obvious that they had the same idea.
Edward: "Very well then. Follow me."
He started walking away, but it didn't take long until the Dejected Miracle had clung himself onto him and took his hand.
As they were following the happy couple, Randall started whispering in Angela's ear.
Randall: "The Dejected Miracle's accent sounds... Fake. And awfully familiar, but I just can't wrap my head around it..."
Angela: "Yes, I agree... I feel like I've heard that voice somewhere before... It sounds so familiar, but at the same time... Not..."
Eventually, Edward swung open the doors to the dining room and entered.
There was a nice fire which was keeping them warm, and Cromwell sat everyone down.
Edward sat at the very end of the table, holding the Dejected Miracle's hand while their butler was serving tea to everyone.
Suddenly, a fluffy cat had entered the room and sat on the Dejected Miracle's lap without hesitation. It had black fur and yellow eyes, which reminded them all of Edward.
While they were still distracted by the animal, Edward took a sip of his tea and smiled.
Edward: "My apologies, I haven't introduced myself properly, have I? How rude of me."
He chuckled as he sipped a bit of his tea, while his other hand was gently stroking the Dejected Miracle's arm.
Edward: "My name is Edward Miracle. I'm the leader of these woods. Next to me is... The Dejected Miracle. My fiancée."
Angela: "Fiancée?!"
Edward: "Why yes! In fact, I had proposed to him just before you had arrived! We weren't even expecting more visitors from the outside world!"
Randall: "You were, actually."
Edward: "Hm?"
Randall: "When we had firstly entered YOUR train to Monchel, that's where we had met your butler. He told us that you yourself had put us in First Class."
Edward: "Wait..."
He gave them a look, then gasped and started laughing.
Edward: "Oh, my! I'm so terribly sorry, Mr. Ascot!"
He giggled as he had sipped his tea again.
Edward: "I didn't recognise you not your name at first... My word, I'm sorry!"
Leon: "Enough joking around! How do you know our names and why did you even invite us here in the first place?!"
Edward: "Because I want to help you all."
Desmond: "With... My brother's disappearance?"
Edward: "Indeed, Mr. Sycamore. That wicked man on the television screen this morning angered me. He wanted to kidnap you all as well."
Randall: "What?!"
Edward: "Of course. Don't you remember the very last thing he said?"
Leon: "That he couldn't wait to see us?"
Edward: "Yes... I couldn't let him get to you. So I needed to act. The man is not here in Royal Porstow - But in Monchel. The village you were all previously in..."
Luke: "These woods are called Royal Porstow?! That's an odd name!"
Edward: "I get that a lot, yes... Also, please don't believe those silly myths about there being a barrier around these woods. They're false. Once you enter the woods, you can easily get back out. Unless you get lost, of course."
Desmond: "Actually, that's another thing I would like to discuss."
Edward: "Hm?"
Desmond: "The 'barrier' for the cursed woods of Monchel had opened just before we had entered. But it wasn't easy with Layton roaming around, trying to eat us alive..."
Edward: "What? Layton? But he-? What are you talking about, my good man?"
Desmond: "You live in the Cursed Woods Of Monchel but you haven't heard about the Werewolf? How?!"
Edward: "Werewolf...? Sir, I must assure you that there are no such things as werewolves..."
Randall: "Liar! Hershel is a werewolf, and YOU'RE to blame!"
Dejected Miracle: "Never insult my charm ever again, Randall!"
Randall: "You called me by my first-? So you do know me personally!"
Dejected Miracle: "You're so aggravating! Why must you always ruin everything?!"
Edward: "Shh... My miracle..."
Dejected Miracle: "E-Edward..."
Edward: "It's alright... Don't get stressed... Just let our visitors explain what is going on."
Dejected Miracle: "Okay... So, Sycamore... May I ask what this Werewolf is that you're talking about?"
Desmond: "Hm..."
He took a sip of his tea, then started explaining the situation.
Once he was done, Edward and the masked man remained speechless.
Edward: "What...?"
Dejected Miracle, turning around so nobody could see his face while sipping his tea: "So, let me get this straight... Hershel Layton came into these woods years ago and got cursed, and is now a werewolf... And now whenever he enters the woods, it's because he doesn't want anyone to see his true identity?"
Desmond: "That's what we've been told. However, a part of me thinks otherwise..."
The Dejected Miracle put his tea down, then snorted before bursting into laughter.
Edward covered his face, ready to laugh as well.
Dejected Miracle: "Oh, pardon me, everyone...! My, I haven't laughed like this in ages...!"
Edward was faintly wheezing with his head on the table, desperately trying to stop.
Edward: "My word...! I'm terribly sorry for being rude, but that must be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard...!"
Desmond: "Yes... I suspected that the situation sounded a bit ridiculous myself... Well, I have another theory as to where my brother could be, but I don't want to say it yet..."
Edward: "Mhm... Well then, you all must be exhausted. Cromwell!"
Suddenly, Cromwell appeared again.
Cromwell: "How may I help you, Master Edward?"
Edward: "Take our guests to their rooms. We shall discuss where Mr. Layton is in the morning. I'm afraid that we won't be able to find him with tired minds."
Randall: "No! I'm not going to sleep, especially when Hershel is in trouble! I don't trust you nor your little friend next to you! I demand you to tell me where he is!"
Dejected Miracle got offended, then hit his fist onto the table.
Dejected Miracle: "Shut it, you little poor brat! I shall destroy the place you call home now, and kill everyone in it!"
Randall: "You wouldn't dare! Henry has worked so hard, and I won't let you ruin it for him!"
Dejected Miracle: "Says the one who almost destroyed Monte D'or himself! I will burn you alive, peasant!"
Randall: "You have got an awful temper! Who even are you?! Reveal yourself, already!"
The Dejected Miracle stopped, then giggled.
Dejected Miracle: "Forgive me, but I simply can't do that. If I do... Then I'll spoil all the fun!"
Angela: "What are these mood swings he's having...?! He was furious one second ago and now he's cheerful...!"
Edward: "Anyways! Go up to your rooms and rest. You don't have much of a choice, to be quite honest with you."
Randall was going to start talking again, until Desmond interrupted him.
He got up and fixed his tie.
Desmond: "Let's just go for now."
Cromwell: "Very well. Follow me."
As Randall was out of the door, he had noticed that the Dejected Miracle was staring at him. Even if he was wearing a mask, he could easily tell that the glare was indeed a death glare.
Randall, whispering in Desmond's ear: "The Dejected Miracle has got an awful temper...! Did you see how he lost it over nothing?!"
Desmond: "Indeed... I feel like we know him, and he just doesn't want us to find out yet... You heard him, didn't you? He said that if he revealed himself right now, he would ruin the fun."
Randall: "Could he be...?"
They both looked at each other.
Desmond: "Yes. There's a high possibility that it could be indeed - Professor Hershel Layton."
Randall: "But why?! Why would HE be he one who's doing this?! You and Mr. Bronev are his remaining family by blood, and me, Angela, Henry and Alphonse are his old friends! Flora is his stepdaughter, Luke is his apprentice! S-So why?! This doesn't make any sense!"
Desmond: "Calm down, Ascot! It might not even be him! You're putting too many ideas in your head!"
Randall: "Y-You're right, it's just... I'm worried..."
Desmond: "I am too... But we need to remain calm, just like Layton.
Randall nodded, then realised that Cromwell had stopped in front of five doors.
Cromwell: "You may all take whichever you wish. Goodnight."
Before they knew it, he was gone. They were stuck inside a castle in the cursed woods of Monchel, with two kidnappers roaming around free, and supposedly with a wolf outside.
Desmond: "Let's split the rooms. Flora and Luke can share one. Me and my father will share one. The Ledore's can share, while Randall and Alphonse can take the other remaining rooms."
Randall: "I can't go to bed when I know the fact that Hershel is in here somewhere! I will go find him, whether any of you like it or not! I'll even go on my own if I must!"
Henry: "Master Randall, I will come as well for help."
Randall: "Oh, thank goodness you're on my side, Henry...!"
Angela: "I'll feel safer if I'm with you... And I want to find Hershel too... So I will come as well!"
Randall: "Thank you... Al, what about you...?"
Alphonse looked away, then groaned.
Alphonse: "Nngh, fine... But ONLY because this is for Hershel!"
Randall: "Great! Do the kids want to stay here-?"
Luke: "No! Of course we're coming as well!"
Angela: "Are you sure? Flora doesn't look too well..."
Flora looked exhausted, like she was ready to be sick.
Flora: "I'm terribly sorry... It must be from the stress... I can't stop thinking about what might have happened to my father...! What if they killed him?!"
Leon went over to her, then helped her into one of the rooms.
Leon: "Come on, granddaughter. Let's get you in bed. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."
Flora: "Thank you, grandfather..."
Desmond: "He...?"
Desmond smiled to himself.
Desmond: "Maybe... Just maybe... Bronev has got a good heart after all."
Bronev helped Flora in bed, then patted her head as she shivered from the head pain.
Leon: "Are you feeling alright?"
Flora: "N-No... I feel like I'm going to be sick..."
Leon: "Shh, it's alright... Rest in bed for now, and don't stress about your father... Me and the others are going to go get him back, okay?"
Flora: "Yes... Thank you, grandfather..."
Leon gasped, then smiled sweetly. It looked genuine, and he hadn't smiled like that in ages.
Leon: "Don't worry, granddaughter. It'll be alright."
He got up and left the room with a smile on his face.
Desmond: "Ah, is that a heartbeat I hear in there?"
Leon, frowning and folding his arms: "No! I just wanted to make her feel better because she would have been a huge problem if we had let her stay! I don't REALLY care about her. It was all just a silly act."
Desmond: "Mhm... Looks like big tough old Targent has turned into a softie!"
Leon: "Eugh! Don't be ridiculous! That little brat is just a useless obstacle in our way!"
Desmond: "Ehehe... If you say so. Now come on. We've got to find out who that masked man is. I just hope that my hunch is incorrect."
Angela: "Why...? Do you think that-?!"
She gasped.
Angela: "Do you think that that man is Hershel?!"
Desmond: "There's a possibility that it could be him. I just really hope I'm wrong."
Randall: "No... No, you ARE wrong! Hershel would never do anything like this! Would he...?"
He started getting doubts, so he started thinking of reasons as to why Hershel could potentially be the man in the mask.
Randall: "Did he get brainwashed?! Is he forced to be like this and it's all just a big act?! Has he been working with Edward for years and trying to get information off of us for something horrible?! Wh-What-?!"
Henry: "Relax, Master Randall. It might not even be him."
Randall: "Y-Yeah... You're right... I'm being ridiculous... Hershel wouldn't do this. Come on!"
Randall started walking back downstairs in a hurry, only to find some very shocking paintings on the wall.
Randall: "Everyone! Take a look at this!"
Flora: "Is that-?! My father and me?!"
Desmond: "My word... They're up to something."
Angela: "They continue down here as well!"
Luke: "Woah! Is that me?!"
Leon: "That must be Edward at the end."
Desmond: "But who painted these...? Why are Flora, Luke and my brother in these paintings?!"
Leon: "Isn't it obvious?"
Randall: "No, not at all!"
Leon: "Come on! Use that pathetic brain of yours! Edward is after all four of them! He wants them for something!"
Angela: "But why?! What have they got to do with Edward's plans?!"
Leon shrugged, obviously not knowing the answer.
He smiled and chuckled as he thought of something.
Leon: "Unless, of course, if the three of them are doing exactly what Emmeline did..."
Desmond: "And what do you mean by that?! Do you think they're traitors and working for Edward?!"
Leon: "That's exactly what I'm saying."
They all looked at Luke with a suspicious expression on their faces.
Luke: "N-No! W-We-! I-!"
They all cornered Luke, wanting answers.
Luke: "I don't have anything to do with this, I swear! I wasn't even with the Professor or Flora when all of this occurred! Please believe me!"
Leon: "You little ignorant-!"
Leon had grabbed Luke's sweater and lifted him onto the wall.
Luke: "Eep-!"
Desmond: "Bronev, he's just a child! Put him down!"
Leon: "What have you and Edward done to my son and granddaughter, you brat?! You've brainwashed them, haven't you?!"
Luke was shaking, clearly scared of Leon.
Leon: "OUT WITH IT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FAMILY?!"
Suddenly, Luke had burst into tears, trying to get out of Leon's grasp.
Luke: "I didn't do anything, I promise! I don't know how to talk myself out of this!"
Angela snapped, and slapped Leon hard enough for him to let go of the poor boy.
She patted Luke's head and smiled as she helped him back up.
Angela: "It's alright, don't worry..."
Luke: "But I-!"
Angela: "No, no, it's okay... I believe you..."
Luke: "Y-You do...? Oh, thank you! I thought I was going to be left behind just because of that painting!"
Angela: "Of course. You're just a young boy, you shouldn't be pressured into these things..."
She looked at Leon. He was still rubbing his cheek from the slap.
Angela: "Especially not through violence! Am I clear, Bronev?!"
Leon: "F-Fine... Hmph..."
Desmond: "I suppose we should continue for now. Let's go back to the throne room. I need to get rid of that banner to see who's behind this."
Randall: "Of course! But before that, what about this door?"
Desmond: "Huh?"
Between the paintings, there was huge, golden door. There was no noise or light coming from it, but something about it told them that there was something important inside.
Leon: "Well, what are we waiting for?"
Leon tried opening it, but it had been completely sealed shut.
Desmond: "A puzzle. I'm not surprised. It's alright - I've got this."
Desmond crouched down to the door lock and started solving Edward's puzzle, which was quite easy. It was as if he wanted everyone to enter.
Desmond: "Hm. That should do it. Let's hope that who we need is in this room."
Randall: "Wait! I'll go in first. I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Leon: "If you insist, then."
"Stay right there!" somebody shouted from behind. "Don't move."
It was Edward with his butler, and they looked quite disappointed that the team had opened the door.
"So, you solved my puzzle. I can't say I'm surprised." He said as he took a step forward. "Oh well, I suppose I will have to do this now."
"Do what?!" Desmond snapped. He quickly rushed to the door, but Cromwell had somehow already managed to block his way.
"Get out of my way!" he yelled, trying to push the butler away.
"I'm sorry, sir. Master Edward's orders. I can't let you through." The butler said calmly.
"Ascot!" Edward cheerfully shouted. "Since you're Layton's friend, why don't you come in with me? There's something VERY interesting in there that I would like you to see!"
"N-No way!" Randall insisted. "There's no way I'd ever trust you!"
Edward growled and folded his arms in disappointment.
"I should have expected, even though you were gullible enough to follow Cromwell all the way here..." he grumbled. "Fine then. Sycamore, you're Layton's brother. You can accompany him since he's so stubborn...!"
"I will." he looked at the others. "The rest of you stay here for now. We'll be fine."
"Wait a second, why can't I come?! I'm literally his father! His BIOLOGICAL father!" Leon yelled in fury.
"Well, since you're probably going to try and kill me before I even get the chance to explain myself." Edward cheerfully said. "By the way... Didn't Layton say himself that he could never call you his father ever again?"
Leon gasped, desperately trying to keep his cool. "I... I know, but... I-I'm sure that... I can fix things..." he mumbled sadly.
"Oh, stop it with your crappy lies." Edward yelled. "I know you just want him back because of your precious 'Rachel'!"
Both Desmond and Leon gasped and snarled at him.
"How dare you insult my mother like that!" Professor Sycamore yelled in fury. "I'll have you know she has done nothing wrong! You ignorant, little-!"
"You probably want Layton back because he looks like her, don't you, Bronev? He's a spitting image of her, I must say so myself."
He continued insulting the Bronev family, slowly breaking Bronev and Sycamore down.
"Oh, I'm sure the two of them would never want either of you back. After what you two have done, nobody needs you." He said happily, while the others let the Bronev's deal with the situation.
"Just shut up already, you dirty, selfish...!" Bronev muttered while gritting his teeth.
"Everything said coming from you is rich, ignoring the fact that you yourself used to run a terrorist organisation. What would 'Rachel' say to that? What would she say to any of the things you to have done? I'm sure Layton would have been much happier if you two didn't even exist-!"
"Shut up already!" Bronev screamed as he ran over to Edward and grabbed him by the throat. He pushed him onto the wall and held him tighter, trying to fight back tears after so many decades.
"Never insult them again! I don't care if my own children have disowned me, but you will not insult them ever again, you hear me?!"
"Aww! Look at you cry just because I insulted your w-wife!"