The heroes soon arrived to there the wall was. They searched it until they found a small keyhole. Putting the key inside it and turning it, the building opened up, revealing a path right to the tower.

As soon as they got close to it though, a door opened up below them and fell right through. In the room they fell in, they saw several parts and tools as well as pictures of the citizens and keys next to them.

"What on earth is all of this?" Aelita asked looking around.

"It's machinery." Said a familiar voice.

They soon saw the same old man from the previous night.

"It's Gray Santa!" Luffy shouted.

"That's not my name! Its Bruno! Now give me back Number 38 right now!" he shouted.

"Number 38? We have no idea what you're talking about. We just wanted to find the Golden Apple." Starlight said.

"The Golden Apple? That's why you all are here?" Bruno asked them.

HOLD IT!

"Um, Mr. Bruno?" Fluttershy said. "Sorry if I surprised everyone, but something's been on my mind lately."

"Really? Mind telling me what that is?" Bruno asked.

Present Picture.

"Ah. I see. Well, guess the truth doesn't stay hidden forever. Let me give y'all a proper introduction. My name is Bruno. I work for the Reinhold family and I manage the town from here in the tower." Bruno said.

"Fluttershy, what exactly does this painting show?" Layton asked looking at it. "Ah. I see. It makes sense now. You are the one who manages the life within the village." Layton said.

"Y-yes. The reason all of the people still look like the ones in the painting is because…"

TAKE THAT!

"It makes perfect sense. All of the villagers...they're robots!" Sci-Twi said.

"Yep. Every last one. Baron Reinhold had me make every last one when he learned his time to leave this world was close at hand." Bruno said. "When he created this challenge, he wanted the robots to test any outsider who walked right in with mind racking puzzles. I'm the one who programmed them into the villagers."

"A whole village with roles set for them like a story." Starlight said. "Well that doesn't sound like we'll see that anytime soon. So, you were talking about the Golden Apple?"

"Ah yes. You'll find it at the top of this tower here. Its waiting up there for ya." Bruno said.

The heroes climbed the tower and solved more puzzles, eventually reaching the top where they saw a small cottage and a girl sitting outside.

"So, you finally made it." she said. "Follow me inside." she said as they did what she asked.

Once inside the cottage, she removed her bandana and glasses, revealing herself to be the Baron's daughter, Flora Reinhold.

"Of course." Hope said. "The posters, the paintings, it all makes sense. The Golden apple wasn't a treasure, but rather…."

TAKE THAT!

"He wanted a guardian for his daughter." Lemon said.

"Yes. My name is Flora Reinhold. I've been waiting up here for sometime, waiting for someone to get me like Mr. Bruno said they would." Flora said.

"Youre the Golden Apple. All of these Robots issued the challenge because they were protecting the one key to it." Nami said before they felt the tower shake.

"What's going on?" Layton asked before they rushed outside to see Don Paolo inside a tricked out helicopter with three wrecking balls.

"Hehehehehe! Here...I...COME!" he said charging at the tower once more.

"Ready or not!" he shouted as the balls hit deep into the tower itself.

Indigo acted quickly, gathering pieces of the cottage up into a glider.

"Wow, youre quick!" Sonic said.

"Thanks. I'll take Flora and get her off the tower and lead Don Paolo away. You guys get out. This place is gonna collapse!" Indigo shouted.

The heroes did so, getting out of the tower with Hope blasting the debris. Indigo then got onto the ledge. "Ready for a ride?" she asked Flora.

She shook her head yes as they leapt off and glided through the air. The helicopter following after.

"New hero! I'll smash you right out of the sky!" he shouted firing a wrecking ball at them.

"Not a chance! Here's something else I picked up!" Indigo said pulling her arm back.

"What? You can't possibly hit me from that far." Don Paolo boasted.

"Spiked Punch!" Indigo said hitting the wrecking ball. The wrecking ball flew back, hitting a rotor, shaking the helicopter, causing a bag to fall out of it.

"No!" Don Paolo gasped. He then growled. "This isn't over yet, Layton! Same goes for you, Indigo Zap! One day, I will have my revenge on the both of you!" he shouted crashing down somewhere in the woods.

Indigo landed with the others.

"I think a certain Gourmet Hunter would be proud of you." Hope said.

Indigo just smiled as Flora hugged her. Indigo then noticed an apple like birthmark on Flora's shoulder.

"Oh my god. I know where it is!" she shouted.

The group returned to the manor and stood in front of the painting of Flora. Indigo stepped up and pressed where the birthmark would be. A rumble was heard as they saw the bookshelf nearby move back, revealing a secret path.

Taking a step inside, they were astonished to see large stacks of gold and money within the room. A tape recorder then played.

"Congratulations, Indigo Zap. I knew you might be able to do it." said an old voice.

"Papa?" Flora asked.

"He must have recorded it before he died." Luke said.

"But how does he know my name?" Indigo asked.

"You're probably asking how I know your name. Well, when I was on my deathbed, I was told by a seer that someone by that name as well as a top hatted professor will come to the village I have made to get my daughter. Well, Bruno did the actual building but you get the point." the player continued.

"Wahooo! Sweet payday!" Vector said before Blake stopped him. "Its not yours. If anything, its Flora's."

"But there is something you all should know. Before you even touch this, I should tell you that once you take even a single dollar, the village will then go into a permanent sleep, becoming motionless and dead and will have served its purpose." the baron continued.

Flora then stood there. "I am not greedy. Look at how these people protected me and live their lives. I will leave this village, but leave the wealth behind in order to see the village live on."

Hope smiled after hearing this. "If the old guy was still alive, he'd be proud of her."

The drawbridge was later lowered as the heroes headed out of the village itself.

"So, how did you girls like your first mission?" Jexi asked.

"Awesome! I got a nemesis now." Indigo said.

"Well, thats one way of looking at it. Are you eight still with us?" Hope asked.

"We cant turn back now. We're heroes now, and we're done with what we did." Lemon said.

"Well, I guess its until we meet again than." Layton said letting Flora into the car. "Oh, I must ask you to keep the village secret from the public if that's not too much trouble."

"Sure." Jexi said.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we must get back to London. We'll see you all in two months with a new case." Layton said as he drove off.

"Two months?" Jexi asked himself.

meanwhile in Flux's ship, the man himself was returned after being released on Buggy's ordered. "Thank god I'm out of that hell hole. My cellmate was...not a pleasant man." Flux said to Ian.

"Sir, sir! You gotta see what's in universal weekly!" Ian said as Flux grabbed the paper.

"A killing competiton?" Flux asked him. "Now that sounds like...Hmm. You know, this may be a good chance to bring out….it." Flux grinned.

"Subject 000? But you said that thing's extremely dangerous!" Ian said.

"Yes. But I think that thing is right up its alley. Get the cage ready as soon as possible and drop it down on this place through the air drop. We're about to get some promising results." Flux grinned.

Down below in the darkest parts of the ship, a pair of red eyes opened as the room shook

"Get ready…. for a Blood Bath." it said growling.

To be continued in Dimensional Heroes Legends: Madworld

Written by Jexi and Hope