Layton Drownout 2020

Professor Layton and the Cursed Laptop

Summary: One of the Professor's students comes to him with a terrible problem. Will he be able to solve it and save the boy from a fate worse than death? Based on the Mob Psycho 100 bonus chapter of the same name, "The Cursed Laptop"

"A cursed laptop?" asked the Professor.

"Yes, it would seem as much," said George's mother. "My darling boy was simply conducting research to complete his essay for you when it was struck by a terrible curse!"

"I had loaned him my laptop for his work," added George's father, "so if it's at all possible, I'd very much like this curse to be lifted. We've heard that you're unmatched when it comes to solving mysteries, Professor, so if you could get to the bottom of this curse-!"

"Please calm yourselves, my good people," Hershel interjected before they could get too worked up. "I may not be the most well-versed in matters of technology, but I'm sure that whatever George's problem is can't be anything as superstitious as a curse."

He tugged the afflicted computer towards him on his desk.

"Would it be alright if I took a look for myself?" he asked, gently lifting it open.

"NO!"

His student dived across the desk and slammed it shut.

"You mustn't look!" George shouted in terror. "It's a curse everyone in class knows about! Professor, I know you don't believe in these things, but anybody who looks at the laptop screen will die within a week! Even their parents will be affected!"

He leaned back from the desk, clearly trying to pull himself together.

"At this point, I don't care what happens to me," he said, "but it's my dad's laptop! He needs it for work so I need to get this curse lifted as soon as possible!"

Hershel ran his fingers over the laptop's cover.

It was true that during the various investigations he'd conducted during his career, he had come across a curse or two that turned out to be a far more conventional matter than a believer in superstition had expected. His journey aboard the Molentary Express came to mind, and he remembered well what that had turned out to be.

He tapped a finger on the laptop.

"Very well," he said, tipping his hat at the worried family. "I would be delighted to solve this mystery for you."

The teen and his parents sighed in relief.

O-o-O

Cursed laptop indeed...

It seemed to be activating just fine. Hershel couldn't for the life of him think of what the problem could be. How was it that every student in his class supposedly knew about this so-called curse, yet none of them had thought to turn to him for assistance before?

Perhaps something had appeared on the screen that had just frightened George to the point that he believed the computer was cursed, but what on earth could have-

The screen flashed into life.

It revealed to Hershel the last thing his student had seen.

Cold dread pooled into his stomach. This really was a terrible problem.

An even bigger problem was that Professor Layton knew next to nothing about computers in general, let alone laptops. He had no idea where to even begin with a problem of this magnitude. How in the world was he supposed to solve something like...

...like this?!

"Professor?"

His apprentice's voice behind him almost startled him out of his wits.

"What's wrong, Professor?" He could hear Luke approaching. "Is there something on that laptop that you're-"

"N-nothing to worry about, my boy!" Hershel closed the computer, hoping and praying that Luke hadn't seen what was on the screen.

It seemed like he was going to have to take this home with him and try to solve the problem by himself.

O-o-O

He'd stayed up all night trying to solve this problem and all he had to show for it was the bags that hung under his eyes.

"I'm very sorry," he told George and his parents, "but I'm afraid I was unable to lift the curse. It had penetrated the computer right down to the mainframe."

George's mother and father gasped in horror.

"W-what are we going to do?!" George spluttered.

Hershel closed his eyes in resignation.

He'd been thinking it through all morning, but there was only one method he could think of in his sleep-deprived state that would save his student's mind, soul and dignity.

He raised his arm and slammed his elbow down on the laptop, cracking its entire structure right down the middle.

"Oh my goodness!" gasped George's mother.

"Are you insane?!" cried George's father. "That was my laptop! I needed that for work!"

"It was the only thing that could be done." Hershel's voice was flat and lifeless from exhaustion. "I shall be happy to compensate you for your troubles."

He shot George a wink to assure him that everything was fine.

George sighed in relief. His parents would never find out the truth.

Hershel smiled to himself as the door to his office opened and his young apprentice stepped inside.

"Oh, so you destroyed it?" Luke asked casually for everyone to hear. "That laptop with the porn on it?"