Clive Dove

This is excitement

A Professor Layton Fic

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Dear God, guys! It's been so long since I've last written or updated a story here, and even longer since I've written an Unwound Future based story! But I missed the amazing unwound future characters too much to leave them behind forever.

*Hugs all the unwound future characters*

I don't own any of the unwound future characters or events, but I do own this story. Thank you.

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Snow filtered its way down from the wide, dark sky and down onto the already coated London streets. A small beam of light shone in through the single window in a prison cell. Normal prisoners would be asleep at this time, but Clive Dove was no normal prisoner.

Just when he felt he was drifting off, one of the guards, a large, overweight man, walked past his cell, purposefully banging the keys on the cell bars, sending a loud clanging noise throughout the small room. Clive sat up again and glared stonily at him.

"Fisheye,"

The word was nearly spat, hatred and anger pulsing through every syllable.

Fisheye matched his name perfectly, the lower half of his face was smaller and skinnier than the fat top, and he had two bulging eyes that looked like they would pop out of their sockets. This amazing resemblance to the bubble-eyed goldfish had earned the guard his nickname.

The guard paused as Clive spoke, and stepped back the few paces he had taken, turning to look through the bars at the prisoner. When he saw Clive glaring back at him, eyes shining in the dark, he gave a light laugh.

"No rest for the wicked, huh, Clive?"

No reply echoed through the corridor, not that Fisheye had been expecting one. For the two months that Clive had been in the jail, the boy had been remarkably quiet. The words he had uttered a few moments had been some of very few. Most of his days were in silence now. Though you may think this is good, less bothersome even, his silence only made the police and guards extremely nervous. A silent prisoner was often a dangerous, planning prisoner.

And Clive Dove was known for his plans.

Fisheye tauntingly held the keys inside the cell, but Clive didn't even move. Not the slightest. The teen had seen this trick before, as the guards used it frequently with other prisoners. As soon as you moved to take the keys, the guard would pull them back, out of your reach.

Seemingly annoyed that his prey wasn't going to play along with his game, Fisheye took to insulting the teen.

"You know, our payment comes out of the Dove Fortune. Amazing pay we get. Lovely."

Clive flinched slightly.

"We spend it on things very quickly, like chocolate, and fizzy juice,"

Fisheye was about to go on when he got yet another shock.

"You're a fool,"

The guard shut his mouth and looked back to the prisoner who had just spoken. Clive had moved slightly, and was now leaning against the cell wall.

"What did you say?" inquired Fisheye warily.

A cold laugh echoed around the cell, and then Clive was right on the other side of the bars.

"I said you're a fool, Fisheye!"

Fisheye narrowed his eyes as Clive smirked. He had hit a mark and he knew it.

"What? Too foolish to respond?"

Before the teen could react, Fisheye had placed a hard slap to the side of his face and knocked him backward with a hard push.

Clive hissed in pain as he fell back and hit both his hands and knees hard. Small beads of blood began to form on the newly created cuts. When he looked back up, Fisheye was eyeing him with a contented expression.

"But you're the biggest fool, Dove,"

Clive didn't move from his position on the floor, but retorted quickly. "At least I don't resemble a dead goldfish, and I'm no coward unlike you,"

Fisheye gave another laugh and jangled the keys. "Just remember who's the one behind bars,"

Clive shrugged as Fisheye walked away, boots clanging on the hard stone floor. As soon as the guard was gone, Clive bit his lip to stop tears forming as the blood ran down his arms and legs. Fisheye wasn't really allowed to hurt him, in fact, it was technically illegal. But what did that help? Who would take a prisoner's word over a guards? For all the judge knew Clive had hurt himself, being of an insane mind and state.

Clive calmed down quickly and took a shaky breath, brushing himself off and standing up, leaving bloody smears on his trousers, jacket and the cell floor. He climbed back onto the bed and gazed out the barred window before glancing out of his cell into the prison corridor, fixing his stare on the clock and calendar.

December 24th. 11:59 PM

One minute to Christmas. One minute to the anniversary of his adoption.

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December 25th. 00:00

The clock tower bells rang like normal and Clive returned to the small window, putting his head on his hands and closing his eyes, the cold wind brushing across his face.

Was it really less than six months ago he had been living a normal life in the clock shop with Spring and Cogg? It had seemed like an eternity.

Nothing ever happened here. Christmas day would be like every other for him, as would the Christmas after that, and the one after that, and so on for the rest of his life.

Clive Dove had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Dimitri Allen had been sentenced to two months.

Clive clenched his fists as he once more felt a surge of anger toward his former partner. It was so unfair! Dimitri wasn't a saint, and neither was he! Didn't Dimitri deserve a lifelong sentence as well? Apparently not.

Oh Yes, Clive thought bitterly, Today's Dimitri's Release Date

The young criminal sighed and sank back down onto the bed. Staring at the walls that would surround him for as long as he'd live.

"Clive?"

Clive narrowed his eyes and glared at the voice's owner.

"Look, Clive. If you're still touchy…. I'm sorry,"

This just annoyed the teen further. "Dimitri, I am in no mood to talk to you."

Dimitri ran a hand through his hair. "I only came to say-"

"That you're out of here?" Clive interrupted, "As If I didn't know that already,"

The two simply stared at each other for a few moments, unsure exactly what to say.

"Well…. I guess this is goodbye,"

Clive nodded as Dimitri spoke the words. "I guess so,"

Dimitri nodded slowly at his one time partner, before beginning to walk off. Then he paused.

"You know, Clive, there's more than one way out of here,"

The words puzzled Clive, but before he could call out to the scientist to ask him what he meant, Dimitri had gone. He let out an irritated curse, and sat back down. The jail walls suddenly seemed much less interesting as he went over Dimitri's words over and over in his head.

"Huh." He whispered to himself, "That was strange."

Clive stood up and examined the cuts on his hands and knees once more, wincing as he touched them. Then he returned to staring out of the single window.

He sat there, watching the snow fall through the bars and catching a few lone flakes on his hand, smiling at the coldness of them. He'd always loved snow. It was colder than rain and made you feel cold. Sometimes when he was younger he believed that his life was coated in snow, and one day it would melt and he could continue living as he had lived when his parents were still alive.

Of course, this had never happened. If his life had been covered in snow, the only thing the snow did was get colder and colder, refusing to let the flames of anger melt it.

Then one day it had melted. It had melted and the flames of anger had burst through. That was the day that Layton pointed out his plan in the Thames's Arms, a popular bar in Underground London. Clive realised that he had been unable to control the flames. Was that what compelled him to use the fortress before it was really complete?

The fortress had been nearly finished, but there were a few fatal flaws. For example, by changing a few wires, someone could swap the Prime Minister with something else. Clive hadn't found this important until he realised the damage this could do to his plan.

It was the right thing. Clive thought, shutting his eyes tight, Then why do I feel guilty?

The teen never had any visitors beside a few hand chosen ones, as he didn't want to have to explain anything to anyone. The only people he let visit him were Spring and Cogg, who had worked for him when he was still the Master of the Dove Mansion, Shipley, who had been there through every step in his madness to support him, and occasionally

Professor Layton himself, who was someone he could lean on.

Clive opened his eyes once more and blinked a few times, getting used to the bleary light again, before picking up a handful of the white snow that was resting in between the bars on the window, staring as it melted in his hand. Outside, he saw the first few strands of Dawn's light streaking over the sky, and Big Ben rang once more. It really was like any normal day.

Outside he could hear the streets begin to get busy. Christmas Day always was a busy day to go on holiday, go out to eat or maybe just go for a walk in the snow.

Clive could go for a walk in his cell.

Fun.

As he stared through the window, breeze rustling his hair, he thought back to the strange words from earlier.

There's more than one way out of here.

Clive frowned, mulling over what exactly Dimitri had meant.

He knew he wasn't getting out of here, the police and Bill Hawks had ordered it. Yet… was there even a tiny chance he might get released?

No.

That wasn't it.

There's more than one-way out of here.

Getting released was only one of the ways he could get out, apparently.

He shook his head, concluding that Dimitri had been talking rubbish. It wouldn't be the first time.

The rattle of keys woke him from his daydream. A prison guard rounded the corner and unlocked his cell door. Clive stared at him. What was he doing?

"Dove, you have a visitor,"

"Who?" Inquired Clive, feeling faintly annoyed that whoever it was had just interrupted his thinking session.

The guard shook his head. "The Prime Minister,'

"WHAT!?" Clive protested, "Uh uh. No way. You'll have to drag me there!'

"I will if I have to. He has to see you," the guard paused, selecting his words carefully. "Says it's urgent,"

"But I though I told you the only visitors I wanted were-"

The guard stopped him from going on by handcuffing him. "I think you can make an exception for the Prime Minister,"

Clive put up no further protest as he was led into the meeting room. A plastic screen separated Bill Hawks and him.

Good.

Otherwise the city might not have their Prime Minister in one piece when he left this room.

The Dove and the Hawk watched each other almost warily, before Clive gave a fake smile.

"To what do I owe the grand honour of this visit?" he drawled sarcastically.

"To my advisor," Hissed Bill Hawks, "Trust me, Dove, I don't want to be here any more than you do"

"Let's get this over with then," Prompted Clive.

Bill slammed his palms down on the table, but Clive didn't even flinch. He was used to this sort of thing now.

"I want to know why you did it,"

Clive smirked. "Did what?"

"Don't play stupid with me," The Prime Minister said, "You know as well as I do what I'm talking about, Dove,"

Anger flooded through Clive as the Prime Minister continued to use his surname, but he just gritted his teeth and bore it.

"Yes, I presume I know what you are referring to,"

"Then tell me why you did it!" Billyelled.

Clive shook his head and looked around the small room. Mocking him.

"I'm afraid I can't. Even if I did, I doubt you would believe me,"

Bill was about to shoot back another comment, when one of the guards came in. Time was up.

Clive sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he was escorted back, tugging ever so slightly at the chestnut strands. His blue eyes flicked from guard to guard as they locked the door, and, once more he was left alone.

He walked carefully back up to the window, and gazed out. Then it struck him

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There's more than one way out of here.

Clive grinned.

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Okay, so first chapter is up! Altogether this chapter was pretty boring, but at the second chapter it begins to pick up. (I know because I've already written it). So Clive's figured out what Dimitri meant! Interesting….

The story's title means something later on in the story too, but I'm not giving away any more on what it means. /

Review if you want to see this story continued!