Professor Layton and the Angel's Prophecy

A World at Odds

Hershel gasped, trembling.

"No. I thought you were over this insanity, Costillos."

"While it is true that getting my vengeance is what drove me to escape prison and set up this elaborate game to catch you, I still had desires left unfinished. I realised when I captured your archaeologist friends to use as bait that they were far more valuable than that. It took a little coercing... a few threats here, a granddaughter is a precious thing, no? - but I eventually got it out of them."

Hershel shook his head.

"You threatened Dean Delmona's granddaughter? You're a m-"

"Yes, yes – a monster. We get it. Now can you let me finish?" Hershel grimaced, but raised no further protest. "I found the store of Imperium. At first I thought I could use it to make Luke do unspeakable horrors, or maybe set you two against each other... Now that would have been fun..." He trailed off as he entertained that nightmarish idea, but then he snapped out of it. "Another life, perhaps. Regardless, I had the Imperium, and so I needed men. One by one, I tracked down your old enemies. I became so embroiled in your past, I even discovered that your father was one such villain. Now he's a husk, a slave. Nothing. Well, maybe not nothing. A pawn in a greater game - one in which I intend to win this time!

"However, one of them had the most brilliant of ideas. Descole, as you know, Hershel. It was his idea to build the transmitter. And while we've been fighting, he has been priming the transmitter. I may not have enacted my vengeance yet, but in a few short minutes, that won't matter anymore, for then there is nothing you can do!"

*****

"C-change the world?" Luke stuttered. "How?"

"By controlling their minds!" Patting the transmitter, he winked at Luke.

Luke glanced down, trying to make sense of all this. Was he suggesting...? No, it couldn't be the Imperium. Could it...?

Descole used this chance to break free of Luke's grip, leaping to his feet. Luke cursed himself for getting distracted, yet again. Rising, he raised his fists, ready for the next round. It never came. Raising his left cuff to his mouth, he gave Luke one final grin and spoke.

"Raymond, my good man. Tilt the ship."

Luke felt his stomach drop. He looked desperately around for something to hold onto. There was nothing. But it was too late. As Descole stepped backwards, grabbing onto the transmitter, the ship lurched to the side, and all those holding on were thrown off their feet, sailing through the air, falling towards the sprawling city hundreds of feet below. Luke's arms shot out, flailing wildly, but there was nothing he could do. Was this truly it for the Professor's number one apprentice?

*****

"It wouldn't work on the world, but it was enough for London, and so why not take this filthy city?"

Costillos paced as he spoke, clearly at ease once again. But Hershel was simply too wrapped up in his words.

"No one's ever done something like this, so I had to proceed with caution," Costillos explained, sounding all too proud with himself. "The calculations themselves have taken much longer to work out than I anticipated, and this whole little game we've been playing has served as a nice distraction, but very soon the device shall be turned on, and I shall bow to no one! No one, not even you shall stand in my way this time! Once this world as at the tip of my fingers, and that was even before I ran my own company, before I had to live in second place to those arrogant scientists. When I was with my... my precious Ani.

"When London is mine, so shall the world be. I just want others to feel the powerlessness I felt... To know what it is to be lesser than everyone else... To be a loser!"